


Team SRDS (Stardust)

by Blu3Meteor



Series: Team SRDS [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Character Interpretation, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Morality, Multi, Remnant (RWBY), Revenge, Semblance (RWBY), Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 86,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24523567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blu3Meteor/pseuds/Blu3Meteor
Summary: Four White Fang grunts have seized the opportunity to raise funds for their cause: the kidnapping of a 17-year old boy named Sigbjorn Phoenix.
Relationships: Ruby Rose (RWBY)/Original Male Character(s), Team RWBY & Original Character(s), Weiss Schnee/Original Male Character(s), Yang Xiao Long/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Team SRDS [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772236
Comments: 55
Kudos: 11





	1. Sigbjorn Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four White Fang grunts have seized the opportunity to raise funds for their cause: the kidnapping of a 17-year old boy named Sigbjorn Phoenix.

_**A forest in the Atlas Mainland, 30 kilometres North-West of the city, 05:12:36 hours.** _

The skies were covered with stormy grey clouds, casting a crystalline, shadowy veil over the light of Remnant's broken moon. Little drops made their way down in a slow drizzle. The precipitation made things slightly hard to see, but the pale orange glow from the road lamps was far from undetectable. An armoured vehicle raced down the road. The orange light bounced off of its wet skin of paint as it sped off into the distance. Inside, five White Fang soldiers sat with heaving breaths.

"Think we outran it?" one of them asked his friend.

"Well, I don't hear it anymore, so I guess we did," came the reply.

"What? You two! Yeah, in the back! I had told you to stop blabbering! What the hell do you keep on talking about?" the Lieutenant snapped.

"Well..." the first began speaking, then was cut off by his friend, who glared at him with narrowed eyes. The Lieutenant stared at the first, who was going to reply to him.

"Come on. Tell me. I _really_ want to know," the Lieutenant said sardonically. The first one sighed, then shook his head.

"It isn't worth your time, sir," he finally responded.

"Good. Now shut up and keep an eye on the hostage!"

"Yes, sir."

Both of them turned to the hostage. A boy less than 18 could hardly be called that, right? The boy was wearing a black hoodie with green trousers. He had warm, medium-toned skin with brown hair that was plastered to his forehead because of the rain outside.

"Wow. I thought the White Fang were scary. This changes everything," he commented, rolling his red eyes.

"Shut up, kid!" The second White Fang soldier said.

"Right," he said, raising his tied hands in submission, "because then you might get in trouble with your boss."

Both of the soldiers looked at each other, their jaws hanging open in confusion.

This wasn't the kind of behaviour they were expecting, especially not from a minor.

"What are you staring at me for? Hit him or something!" said the second one to the first.

"I-I don't want to hurt a kid!"

"What are you? A chicken Faunus?!" The second one teased.

"No! I just don't want to hurt him!"

"Honestly, it isn't that hard," said the boy in the hoodie, "just pull your fist back and throw it towards... Anywhere really. Except for my face. Anywhere but my face. Can't have that ruined."

"Why, what's wrong with your face?" the first soldier asked.

The boy glared at the soldier. _These people have to be the dumbest excuses for soldiers I have seen._

"Why do you care?!" The second one retorted to the first one, gaining the attention of the Lieutenant.

"Can you two not get _anything_ done?!" He rebuked angrily, sending the two in the back cowering in fear.

"If I hear another word coming from the two of you, I swear I will make sure that you live a nightmare!"

The two of them sat silently in the back for a few seconds until they noticed the boy shaking uncontrollably. They looked on in a mixture of surprise and horror until the boy started laughing his heart out at the misery of the two. To their frustration, they couldn't even tell him to shut up without getting their butts whooped.

The Lieutenant turned around with an irritated look at the two of them. They immediately gestured back that they hadn't said a word. The Lieutenant glared at them, then looked at the hostage, who was still laughing.

"Hey! You! Honestly, just shut up! You're our hostage! Don't make me shoot you..."

"AH! NO! I'M SCARED NOW! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME, I'LL DO ANYTHING!" the boy yelped in terror.

"Your name. Now."

"Phoenix. Sigbjorn Phoenix," the boy replied, still seemingly shaken.

"Phoenix... Huh... I think I've heard that somewhere before..." The Lieutenant pondered.

"Yeah, it's a long story," Sigbjorn tried to remain in cover, "my great aunt's cousin's brother's son's..."

"Fine! We get it! You're related to the rich and famous," the Lieutenant said.

"Well, you shouldn't have told us that, because we're going to keep bringing you pain until we get the money we want!" said number one.

Sigbjorn wasn't actually from a rich background. He had just made that up to hide his real identity so that the soldiers didn't do something stupid, like attacking him. They had picked him up some time ago since they had seen him being attacked by Beowolves.

Their greedy minds saw an opportunity for promotion or fortune and had neglected the fact that the Beowolves had disintegrated into pixels as soon as everyone got in the car. Sigbjorn saw an opportunity for gathering intel, and this was a good chance.

"W-woah," he pretended to stammer and be scared at the thought of torture. Being in a room with these bozos was probably worse than anything a capable interrogator could think of. "You guys won't do that! You hate humans!"

"Well, kid, Lien is Lien, and it helps us get weapons."

"Nobody's that stupid! Who would give their money for something that they know is bad?"

"You'd be surprised how much we make off of this, kid. Turns out people are too scared and indulged for their selves to care about the external world. Those that refuse to pay... well we either make an example out of the hostage, or we sell them. You better pray that someone likes you in your family, kid," said the first soldier, snickering...

...until he looked at Sigbjorn's expression, which petrified him to the very core. An Ursa straight out of the fiery depths of hell couldn't have been as terrifying. However, the boy quickly adopted a scared look at the prospect of being sold as a slave or killed on live camera. The soldier thought that he was hallucinating and looked away, wondering if his lunch was stale. Sigbjorn breathed an internal sigh of relief. He hadn't blown his cover.

Sigbjorn hated this kind of thinking. It was what demotivated him as a Huntsman. Why were people selfish and greedy when they knew that they could help the world in so many different ways? It was something he didn't understand fully. Still, he knew that what the soldier said was true in every part of Remnant, and he wanted to change that, step by step. If kidnapping and trafficking were one of the main sources of funds for the White Fang, they were going to be shut down and exposed.

Starting now. Or well, the first group that Sigbjorn (and his teammates) had taken down nearly three weeks ago.

"Well, everyone likes me in my family," he lied to strengthen his cover and give the White Fang soldiers something to think about, "They're going to bust me out of here. You will feel sorry for what you did."

He was going to make sure that that last sentence wasn't a lie.

* * *

_**Abandoned Schnee Dust Company Facility, 50 km North-West of the main city, 05:43:12 hours.** _

The vehicle parked soon near an old abandoned Dust storage facility. Sigbjorn confirmed his suspicions when he saw the Schnee Dust Company logo on the upper wall of the exterior of the building. As the vehicle moved, Sigbjorn made out traces of armed opposition and vehicles outside through the bulletproof glass. The White Fang was running a major operation here. If they were taken down, say by a team of Huntsmen, this would be a crippling blow to their morale as well as their now dwindling logistical prowess in the Atlas region.

Quietly and swiftly, Sigbjorn managed to loosen the vice-like grip of the rope until he could barely feel its existence. He let it stay wrapped around his hands loosely to avoid suspicion. With barely any movement, he silently patted the right pocket of his trousers. His scroll was still there. Good.

The vehicle came to a stop just outside the main building, and everyone except the driver and the passenger got out. The Lieutenant slapped the armour twice, and the vehicle drove off. Sigbjorn felt the rain, now pouring down at a fast pace, splatter against his hoodie. He thanked it for being waterproof because the White Fang were having trouble. However, they still voted on dragging him to the holding cells, and before he knew it, one of them grabbed him by the arm and started leading him. He pulled away from the grip and insisted that he could walk on his own. The Lieutenant peeled off, saying something about a report to make, then headed into the main building, which was surprisingly empty.

Except for large quantities of Dust. Perfect!

After a few minutes of silence, Sigbjorn asked a calculated question.

"So. These, uh... holding cells... that's where you keep the other prisoners?"

"Yeah," the second soldier replied.

"Well, I hope I don't get bored until my family busts me out. There's gotta be someone to talk to."

"Nah. Just going to be you, kid. There's nobody else in there."

Sigbjorn nodded in acknowledgement. That last piece of information was all he needed to kick off the plan.

"Except the ghosts," said the first one in a spooky voice in an attempt to scare Sigbjorn.

Grave mistake.

The boy suddenly stopped and started smiling. The second of them got close to drag him by the arm to their destination. The next thing the man knew, he was lying down in the centre of a big crack in the ground. His back throbbed with pain, and he couldn't move.

But the first soldier had processed everything. Sigbjorn had broken free of his bonds, twisted the grunt's arm, flipped him and slammed him into the earth with a frightening force. The first one simply took a step back in horror, for he was a rookie.

"You think you've seen ghosts, then?" the boy asked, trying hard not to laugh.

The Faunus turned and was about to run when he felt a force grab the back of his armour plate.

"No, no, no, no..." he struggled, but it was too late. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain, which strangely didn't come. All he could feel was the wind rushing against his face. Fearing the worst, the stupefied soldier opened his eyes. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but the soldier was a tad more resilient, though not above a high-pitched scream of sheer terror for he was hovering about fifty feet above the ground. He looked up in horror as his hostage smiled down at him with his... blue angel wings? No... they were translucent, almost as if they weren't real.

Before the man could comment, he shot down towards the ground and Sigbjorn let go at the last second. The two White Fang soldiers lay there, embedded in the earth, their bodies paralyzed from pain. Sigbjorn picked up their scrolls from the ground, fished out the radio receiver/transmitter, and slid them into a port in his scroll.

Sigbjorn shot up to the second building in the compound, which was the vehicle storage, and turned to his scroll. He pressed the yellow, diamond-shaped button to separate the end grips and activate the screen, which showed four waveform meters, Sigbjorn's own, followed by his team members. He quickly connected the bright orange headphones around his neck to the scroll.

"Tell me you're here," said Sigbjorn.

"I'm in position," the fourth meter fluctuated.

"We got left side covered," the second meter moved, followed by the third one, "Suckers won't know what hit 'em."

Sigbjorn smiled and connected his wireless headphones to his scroll using his Semblance. Seven Nation Army boomed through the speakers.

"Alright. Let's do this. Steele... kick the door."

"Roger, standby..."

Approximately fifteen seconds after he said that, he heard the sound of a window break, and an explosion rocked the main building. Secondary explosions went off in rhythm with the drum beats of the song. Sigbjorn summoned his wings again and circled the complex a few times with an assault rifle made out of pure blue hard light, picking off the White Fang snipers and scouts at the rooftops and towers as well as any infantry that dared to venture out into the open.

He then flew up to a height of nearly 500 meters above ground level, then zoomed straight down, his arm was coated with hard light in the figure of a giant arm. As soon as Sigbjorn threw the punch, the concrete ceiling shattered as if it were light glass. As the pieces of debris fell, it threw up clouds of dust (the non-magical kind) and the few White Fang members inside began to cough.

When their throats were clear along with their vision, they were shocked to see four of their members unconscious on the ground. They turned to the source of the disturbance and their eyes widened with horror as they saw a boy smiling at them, his right hand holding an enlarged Khukri dagger and the left arm coated with parts for a large weapon. The figures were made out of a strange, shimmering blue light, which was a form of hard light that Sigbjorn could manipulate thanks to his Semblance.

"Anybody who wants to run... now's your chance," he said, the weapon that was part of his left arm whirring dangerously. Most of them chose to stay, even after watching some of their cowardly comrades flee. They must have been either very brave or incredibly stupid, though the ones that ran would eventually be intercepted by two of Sigbjorn's teammates, Ross and Diamond.

The fourth one, Steele, was working on disabling the vehicles, ensuring nobody got out. SRDS was in control and spreading havoc.

Sigbjorn charged straight into the crowd of White Fang, jumping up into the air and firing a few rounds from the cannon mounted on his arm. It fired rounds made out of highly concentrated infrared radiation and a small proportion of hard light, which did the job of sending a majority of the enemies flying into the surrounding walls.

Thinking that the cannon was weighing him down, the remaining six opponents attempted to rush him. Sigbjorn ran straight up to number one and kicked him in the chest with enough force to send him flying backwards. He noticed movement on his right and blocked a strike with his dagger, then used the hilt of the blade to knock the second enemy down. He swivelled to the left and fired another round above the third enemy, who wasted too much time in aiming and was now shaken by the debris. Noticing that number two was back on his feet, Sigbjorn decided to sweep-kick him and then slam him into the ground with a larger-than-normal-sized fist.

He noticed that number three now needed less time to aim since his friend wasn't in his line of fire and swiftly rolled towards number four, avoiding a barrage of bullets. The fourth one was about to attack with a sword of some sort raised in his hand when Sigbjorn grabbed it, kicked him in the groin, and pulled him back into number 3's sights. He concentrated and summoned a small cannon made of hard light, which fired at the armed aggressor, downing him instantly and sending him screaming through the wall of the building. He proceeded to hit the fourth one with the hilt of his blade, then punched him repeatedly in the upper body, finally knocking him out with a punch to the head.

He turned to face the fifth and sixth ones, who were both pointing their weapons at him. Their bodies suddenly twisted in agony, and their heads slammed into each other. They dropped down, unconscious as a figure in an aviator jacket melted in from the air behind them, dusting off his hands with a look of satisfaction.

"You sure made a mess here," he smirked, looking around at the debris.

"You sure took your time," Sigbjorn remarked good-naturedly.

"I had Ross with me. Cut me some slack."

"Point taken," Sigbjorn said promptly, then glanced outside. It was dawn now, and the rain had relented. The skies were now a greyish-blue colour.

About two dozen White Fang brawlers then appeared outside the entrance to the building and pointed their firearms at them.

"Freeze!" The Lieutenant commanding them said, and Sigbjorn recognised him as the same one as in the vehicle from earlier. He had survived the explosion somehow, though there was soot all over his face.

Sigbjorn looked down at his scroll, attached to a holder on the back of his arm. Ross was supposedly right behind the enemy soldiers. Sigbjorn marked their positions using his mind, which turned from red to orange, and then to green as Ross acknowledged the order.

"I said, don't move, kid!" The Lieutenant said.

"On the contrary," said aviator jacket, raising his arms, "I think you should hold your ground."

The second he said that the ground beneath each of the soldiers swallowed them up to their waist, disabling their movement. A huge muscular guy in an olive green jacket and military cargos walked up to them.

"Did you just make that pun?" Sigbjorn asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I did," responded aviator jacket nonchalantly. His eyes then widened in realisation.

"Ross?"

"Yeah, Diamond?"

"You forgot to restrict their arm movements, didn't you?"

The trio turned around to see that even though their positions were fixed, all of their opponents were pointing guns at them.

"Uh... maybe?" Ross replied with a nervous smile.

"Get down!" said Sigbjorn, creating a wall of hard light to protect them from the hail of bullets. Behind them, some crates broke open and a pattern of Ice Dust arranged in concentric circles with squares between their circumferences began to form on the metal floor. A flash of white light blinded the enemies ahead of the trio for a few moments. In that span, the remaining Dust crates broke open too and a huge swarm of dark blue Dust shot out towards the enemies, either physically knocking them out or by lowering the rate of their cognitive functions due to the icy coldness.

"You don't mess with the mage!" called out Diamond in triumph, turning to grin at his partner behind them.

"Ease up there, hotshot, we've still got work to do," said the fourth member of the team from behind as the Lieutenant stared at them with two compact flamethrowers in his hand and melted the ice headed towards him. The boy was dressed in a white t-shirt and black trousers. He had a Dust quiver strung across the back of his stark white trench coat. A blue sword with a white line running down the middle hung from his waist. He had blonde hair which was nearly gold with a metallic grey streak on the right. His eyes calculating and stormy eyes matched his gold hair.

"Good to see you too, Steele," smiled Ross.

Steele studied the weapon's workings, and the Lieutenant had even used it against him in the other building before Steele destabilized the Dust crates, causing the explosion earlier. The Lieutenant had managed to escape, but that was something Steele could easily get behind since now they had the chance to apprehend him. The flamethrower was powered by Red Dust. This was too easy.

Steele concentrated again and the fire Dust broke through the container in the flamethrowers and created a ring of fire around him.

"What the hell?!" The Lieutenant exclaimed, then got over his surprise.

"You think you can beat me?! Well, you're wrong!" he said, pulling out a scroll of his own and punching in a few numbers. A Bullhead then appeared in the skies, pulling on a rope attached to the Lieutenant's belt. He escaped the flames and got on the aircraft in about a second.

"I hate it when they do that," Diamond complained.

"Steele..." Ross looked at the swordsman on his left with an annoyed expression.

"I got all the vehicles, Ross. This came from somewhere else. Probably from the nearby outpost Atlas is attacking."

A machine gun turret then sprouted out from beneath the head of the craft and started whirring.

"Scatter!" said Sigbjorn, and the team quickly split up as the plane opened fire. Sigbjorn gained some altitude with his wings and fired a round at the Bullhead from his mounted cannon, but it moved aside before the impact and the round sailed off harmlessly into the sky.

"I hate them even more when they try to kill me!" Diamond said, diving behind an armoured car. The machine-gun fire, however, ripped through the armour and the vehicle exploded, prompting Diamond to hit the dirt. He waited for the heat and force of the explosion, but all he got was a sharp, tingling sound which he recognised as Steele's ice forming behind him, accompanied by a cold blast of air and a large crack as the vehicle slammed into the ice. It dented, and the first few centimetres melted away, but it held quite fine. Diamond took the opportunity to cloak himself and sprint towards his partner, sliding behind the cover just to make sure he wasn't hit by any stray fire.

"You owe me one," Steele smirked.

"You only got this far because I cloaked you. We're even," replied Diamond, zipping up his jacket. Steele looked down, and sure enough, his form was only partially visible, though he knew he was completely cloaked to everybody else except his teammates.

Steele peeked from the corner to see Sigbjorn drawing the Bullhead's fire thanks to his speed. Ross was trying to aim for the air intakes from behind a rock cover he had created with his semblance but was having a hard time landing a successful shot as the aircraft was constantly moving while targeting Sigbjorn.

"Sigbjorn, I'm engaging him. Keep him busy but try to stay out of my firing line," Steele said and as Sigbjorn acknowledged, he pulled out _Predator_ , his sword, and pushed in a switch. The sword split down the middle, its blades extending to form the limbs of a crossbow as a precisely tuned string was stretched taut between its ends. The weapon was complement with a fixed-pin sight that was tuned to perfection, plus a laser sight that lined up the shot. Diamond noticed that the band of light along the length of the crossbow changed colour from a rainbow to a deep red and purple.

Steele loaded a bolt onto the crossbow, gauged the wind carefully and let it fly. It made its way to the left engine of the Bullhead. At the same time, Sigbjorn fired another round at the cockpit, which was instantly blocked by an invisible force field around the Bullhead.

"How do you like my Semblance?!" The Lieutenant's smile was somehow visible from the altitude of the aircraft. However, he had failed to see the projectile Steele shot at him.

The bolt found it's mark and the detonator on the tip of the arrow containing a mixture of Fire and Gravity Dust went off. The left engine was shrouded in flames and the aircraft went down a short distance from the complex, which now lay decimated and empty.

"More hostiles?" Sigbjorn asked.

"Negative. We got them all," Steele replied. Sigbjorn nodded in acknowledgement.

That was the fourth outpost in three weeks that they had taken down.

"Good. That should be the last one we have to deal with if Ironwood's guys took out the other."

Sigbjorn contacted one of the Atlas military personnel that he had been training with.

"Yep. We got 'em. Looks like your intel was right after all," was the response Sigbjorn got.

Diamond and Ross then walked up to Sigbjorn and Steele. Both of them were carrying two White Fang members, tied up at the wrists. One of them wore a pilot helmet, the other was the Lieutenant with his mask off. Both of them were unconscious and were set down near a spare Bullhead, where Ross and Steele completed the process of securing the hostages.

"Send a containment unit up here if you can. Things got a bit messy. We got two people Ironwood might like to get to know a little."

"Roger. ETA 5 minutes."

"Now what?" Diamond asked.

"Now we wait," replied Sigbjorn, leaning against a vehicle, arms crossed, facing the entry point of the compound.

Soon enough, Atlas military arrived on the scene and started rounding up the White Fang members. The pilot and the Lieutenant were taken to a special vehicle, which drove off as soon as they were loaded.

Once the all-clear was given, General Ironwood stepped out of his private vehicle. Team SRDS took a step back in surprise. Nobody expected him here.

Ironwood slowly made his way towards them, surveying the scene as his assistant narrated details to him. He dismissed the assistant when he got close. Steele tensed slightly. This was important, then.

"Looks like your training paid off. We will be taking good care of our guests," remarked Ironwood.

"Just doing our job, sir," Ross replied casually.

"General, is there something you want to tell us?" Sigbjorn said with a serious expression.

"I won't keep much from you," Ironwood sighed. This could potentially be shocking news.

"Professor Ozpin has asked for you to come to Beacon," said Ironwood.

The team looked at each other with surprise, but Ironwood could tell they had been expecting this.

"What do you think?" Sigbjorn finally asked.

"Well, Ozpin's cool in my book," said Ross.

"We get to see Beacon after... man, it's been too long. We could check out Vale again, too," remarked Diamond.

Steele paused briefly, then spoke, "I'm fine with it. Professor Ozpin is a level-headed person. Maybe he's calling us for a mission, maybe he's calling just to check on us. I think we're good either way."

"I have a Bullhead prepped and waiting for you at camp if you want to leave," Ironwood added.

Sigbjorn considered all the inputs. He then sighed, making up his mind.

"Beacon it is, then. Thank you for everything, General."

Ironwood nodded and gestured to one of his soldiers, who started to lead them to transport. They started walking into the distance.

"Not bad for half a day's work, huh?" the soldier asked, looking to Team SRDS. They all cracked a smile and spoke in unison.

"Not bad at all."

* * *

_"Not bad at all."_

The voice crackled through the marksman's headset. The crosshairs on the sights of his sturdy sniper rifle were fixated on Ross' bulging head. His breathing barely altered his aim. He would've loved to fire right then and there to satisfy the itch of his trigger finger, but the plan had taken an unexpected turn. Atlas military had shown up in a matter of minutes. The fact that this could be a joint operation between them and SRDS had never crossed the assailant's mind.

He held his breath as the four walked towards a Bullhead, then exhaled sharply. His fingertips rubbing his eyes as he faced the ground in frustration. There was too much at stake here. If he fired, he'd disrupt the entire plan. No. It couldn't be allowed to happen. He had to be content with watching the four board the transport Jeep and drive off.

At least he knew where they were headed.

"Vale..."

The assassin rose, slung his rifle across his back, pulled up his mask up to the bridge of his nose and placed his black fedora on his head, slowly disappearing into the mist between the mossy woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, thanks for reading through the first chapter of Team SRDS! I hope you liked it.
> 
> This is essentially a story that my friends and I came up with and decided would be well-set in the RWBY universe (RWBYverse? Is that a thing?). You can regard this as an AU (alternate universe) of sorts; we'll be doing a little bit more worldbuilding based on whatever's been done on the show until now, so if the canon deviates from this in whatever way, we don't have to retcon things.
> 
> I wanted to introduce the titular characters and their skills, semblances and so on in this chapter, so if you're wondering, "Where are the rest of the RWBY characters?", they'll be introduced in the next few chapters.
> 
> Feedback is really vital, so in case you have any suggestions or comments, I'd love to hear you out.
> 
> That's all I have to say for now, see you in the next chapter!


	2. Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozpin speaks with Glynda Goodwitch as Team SRDS arrives at Beacon Academy in the middle of the semester, but on the way to the dorms, they gain a tail.

_** Beacon Academy, Vale, 11:07:17 hours  
The same day ** _

It was a sunny day. A warm yet fresh breeze reclaimed the land of Vale, leaving many feeling overjoyed. The sunshine and soft wind were certainly welcome at Beacon Academy, where future Huntsmen and Huntresses were trained to keep the world of Remnant safe. One tower spiralled above the other buildings, putting a few clouds to shame.

This tower was home to Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. He was relatively free of work today; one of the few reasons he was looking out of the window to the city of Vale. He took a sip of his coffee and let out a sigh of relaxation; a privilege that was rare to him nowadays. But then again, even the best Huntsmen and Huntresses need some form of rest. He closed his eyes, which were set behind a pair of shades, and felt the brightness of the sun warm his face. His greyish-white hair ruffled softly due to the wind.

Recently, he had called back a team of his students, although they had never actually studied at Beacon. Team SRDS (Stardust) was different. They had been taken in at a VERY young age by General Ironwood. All of them under 'special' circumstances.

And they had after a certain mission gone dark... off the grid. Eventually, everyone forgot, and Ozpin thought they had quit since he had offered them the choice to. Then, there were rumours throughout the kingdom. Random bank heists, numerous White Fang attacks on Kingdom borders, and even small Grimm attacks were all stopped by a mysterious group of four boys. No one seemed to make a connection, but Ozpin kept a close eye. Intuition told him it was them.

Eventually, Team SRDS made contact with General Ironwood about White Fang siphoning resources off of shipping sites and warehouses in Mantle that were abandoned due to lack of security to Grimm attacks, or excessive upkeep. This was their latest target, and Ironwood had informed him that their skills had not diminished, but grown.

Ozpin felt that they deserved to come to Beacon. Partly because he wanted to see that for himself. Partly because he wanted to offer them another chance. He sent out a message to Atlas, which was relayed to SRDS, and the message stated that they were welcome to return to Beacon anytime. They had accepted and stated that they would arrive today, by Bullhead.

The elevator chimed, pulling Ozpin back into reality. He heard the doors slide open smoothly, and the click of heels across the floor was all he could hear in the room, save for the movement of gears above.

"Professor Ozpin, you sent for me?" a deep feminine voice said.

Ozpin turned around, though he already had his suspicions as to who it was. His eyes fell on a straight face, covered by a serious expression. Green eyes were set behind black-rimmed spectacles. The figure had blonde hair, and one of her hands held a riding crop if only to keep the weapon ready.

"Ah, good morning, Glynda. I need you to do me a favour," said Ozpin, a slight smile forming on his face.

"Of course," Glynda Goodwitch replied, "but weren't you free?" she asked. Not that she didn't want to do it; she was genuinely curious as to what Ozpin was up to, but she did a marvellous job of hiding it.

"I must do some research, Glynda. You can only ever have so much information. Our enemies are many and we must be on our guard. We cannot let anything like the incident at the docks happen again, well-intentioned as Team RWBY may have been, and besides... I must see how our young Huntsmen are feeling before I approach them. They may be startled seeing me at this stage, and I do not wish for that to happen," Ozpin responded.

"Young Huntsmen?" Glynda inquired. It was unorthodox to enrol a new Huntsman or Huntress in the middle of the Semester.

"Yes..." Ozpin smiled, then the holograms above his desk activated to show the pictures, video recordings and files of Team SRDS, "I think that you remember them, don't you, Glynda?"

Glynda was surprised for a moment. Of course she remembered them. Memories came flooding back into her mind like a tsunami, some pleasant, others frustrating, but she found herself smiling slightly at the mention of them, and the notion of meeting them again.

"I do. They're coming here?" Glynda asked to confirm.

"Yes. It would be of great assistance to me if you could greet them and show them around Beacon and to their quarters."

"I will do so personally, then," Glynda said politely. Ozpin nodded and with a slight bow of her head and a larger smile, she walked back to the elevator.

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee. He first focused his sights on the city of Vale, numerous vehicles travelling on visible roads, the holographic signs shining. Then, his eyes caught onto something. A dot in the air, which grew larger, until Ozpin's mind could deduce that it was a Bullhead. The faint smile on his face grew larger as he watched the Bullhead edge closer to Beacon.

"Welcome home," he said to himself in a low voice, and then went back to his desk.

* * *

_You will watch them all die._

Sigbjorn woke with a start. His excitement was exacerbated because he realized he was in a contained environment. That could mean capture, and that fit in with his dream... or rather, his nightmare. He looked around, then saw Ross and Steele sitting together, looking out of the window expectantly. They didn't seem to be displaying any kind of negative behaviour.

Then, his brain remembered the time before he dozed off. The White Fang outpost, Ironwood, Ozpin...

_We're headed to Vale. We're in an aircraft... a Bullhead. Diamond is probably in the cockpit. These nightmares just keep getting worse and worse. One of these days they're going to put me in a straitjacket!_

Once he was satisfied that there was no threat, Sigbjorn followed his teammates' actions and peered out the window to be greeted by a view of Vale.

"Okay, this is it!" a voice called out from the cockpit, and sure enough, the owner was Diamond. "2 minutes to the docking area."

Diamond decreased the thrust on the engines and extended the landing gear. The mechanical whirring sounds started, then stopped, indicating to him that the wheels were set. A display on the screen confirmed his suspicions.

He then peered out of the cockpit to get a good look at Beacon. His memory of this area was a bit fuzzy, but even at his first glance, everything came rushing back to him... the giant tower, the stone paths, the city of Vale... finally. He was back, and a grin dragged itself across his cheeks.

"Whoa... is Ozpin's tower still the same height? That thing is goddamn massive!" exclaimed Ross.

"It's the same height... I think," Diamond finished.

"I never thought I'd see this place again," Sigbjorn said with a slight chuckle.

"Neither did I," said Ross. Diamond glanced back to see a small smile on Ross' face.

The tallest and eldest amongst his team, standing approximately 6 feet tall, Ross was muscular and built like a miniature mountain. Not that that bugged anyone; if anything it was more than useful in close combat, and Diamond had always suspected that Ross needed the extra strength to carry the .50 calibre sniper hammer, _Eclipse_ , which was now slung across his back. On his belt were a few ammo clips and a chain made of fiery, shining silver. His emerald eyes peered outside the aircraft, swivelling from the tower to the school to the city of Vale.

He looked back out of the cockpit to see that the docking area was just a few meters ahead, jutting out from the cliffside. Diamond waited for a few seconds, then changed the engine positioning so that they were facing downwards, not backwards (a phenomenon known as thrust vectoring).

"Thank you for flying Diamond Airlines, and I hope you had a pleasant flight," he said jokingly into the mike on his headset so that his teammates could hear.

"I want a refund! That trip wasn't fun at all!" Sigbjorn said, making Steele chuckle. Diamond turned around and smiled to himself. They both had more or less than five hours of rest, while him and Ross got about two, since they had to pilot the aircraft in shifts.

Letting momentum carry them to the docking area and using the engines to keep the Bullhead aloft, Diamond turned to a woman who was standing nearby. She wore black-rimmed spectacles, had green eyes and pale yellow hair, and had what looked like a stick in one hand and a scroll in the other. She had pale skin, her body was covered by an elegant dress and a purple cape fluttered in the thrust created by the engines, as the Bullhead was now directly above the landing pad. Opening the door so that his friends could jump out anytime they felt like, Diamond kept on reducing thrust slowly until he felt the landing gear slowly kiss the ground, then all of the weight of the aircraft resting on it. They bent slightly, but they held. Diamond turned off the throttle and then killed the engines. Taking off his headset and seat belt, Diamond shut his eyes for a few moments, put on his shades, then exited the aircraft through the door.

He saw the trio waiting for him, and jogged up to them. Out of the corner of his eye, Diamond saw the woman from earlier approaching them. The team instantly recognised her.

Glynda smiled faintly, "Hello, children. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Long time no see, Ms Goodwitch," Diamond smiled back, giving a two-finger wave.

"It's been two years..." Ross pondered.

"2 years, 3 months, 15 days, as I recall," Steele elaborated on Ross' statement. Ross looked at Steele with a weary sigh as his friend destroyed the emotional significance attached to that sentence. Diamond simply chuckled at this, while Steele stared at Glynda with his stoic smile that somehow represented no emotion at all.

"Punctual as ever, Mr Snow," Glynda remarked, motioning for them to follow her as she began walking, "I hope you had a good journey here from Atlas."

"Well, we kinda did," said Ross, "although I didn't like the flight. Too boring," he added, looking at Diamond.

"You were flying it half the time, so if anything it's your own fault," Diamond said with a smirk.

"Where are we going right now, Ms Goodwitch? To see Professor Ozpin?" Sigbjorn questioned, putting the argument to a halt.

"No," she replied, "Professor Ozpin is... busy with his research. You will get to meet him soon, though."

Diamond wasn't surprised. The few memories he did have of Ozpin fitted in perfectly. Calculating, busy and serious.

"We will simply be touring the school and see if you can get used to it," Glynda continued.

_Wait._

"Used to it?" Steele asked, voicing probably what everyone was thinking right now. They had thought they were called back for a new assignment or a status report. 'Used to it' implied that their stay was going to be longer than they originally thought.

"Yes," said Glynda, not saying another word. Weird, Diamond thought, but dismissed it eventually. He started taking in the sights, the trees, the stone paths, the fountains... eventually they came across some students who were about their age.

"Man, that match was rough. We would've nailed it if team R--"

One of them was saying this until he noticed SRDS and Glynda. He just stopped and started staring. The others around him too displayed similar behaviour. Diamond caught some whispered words.

"New students..."

"Semester?"

He waved to some of them, trying to be friendly, then turned to Glynda when he got no response.

"What's with the staring? I mean, I know I look amazing in my new aviator jacket, but they aren't giving me those kinds of looks, you know what I mean?" Diamond joked. The tension deflated faster than a balloon stabbed with a pin. He looked to his teammates to gather their reactions.

Ross and Sigbjorn snickered as Steele shook his head, just like Diamond predicted using the billion other jokes he had made in the past.

Glynda gave Diamond a questioning look, but replied, "It is unusual for new students, or anyone, to come in when the semester's still running," said Glynda, "Don't worry. They'll get used to it in some time. Maybe you can make some friends then?" she suggested.

Diamond wasn't too keen on that. If the students heard Ross talk, they would probably just take a step or two away from the whole of SRDS and then run away, clawing at their brains. He was 17, but sometimes he could beat a 2-year old in the nonsense talk department. Despite that, Diamond and he were still close friends. Apart from the fact that they had saved each other too many times to count, they knew each other and trained together with Sigbjorn and Steele since they were 9... or in Diamond's case, 8. Being the youngest member of the team wasn't always something Diamond was happy looking back on.

He caught on to Glynda's voice. The tour finished much faster than he had thought. Time had flown faster than a Bullhead for him.

"Now, you may proceed to your dormitory. You will find that your luggage is already in your room," said Glynda. She tapped something on her scroll, and all of Team SRDS's scrolls beeped.

"I have sent to you an arrow marker to guide you to your room. Just... try to keep things in order, please," said Glynda, "I must go and attend to some important business."

With that, she left, walking towards the behemoth tower.

"So... what now?" Ross asked.

"Simple, get to the dorms. This arrow thingy," said Sigbjorn, opening his scroll to reveal a triangular arrow shape "should point us in its direction." Sigbjorn and Ross walked in front, while Diamond and Steele followed in the back, beside each other.

"Try to keep things in order, please", said Diamond, imitating Glynda. "I don't think she knows how disciplined we are, eh?" he said to Steele, as Ross and Sigbjorn listened in. It had been a long trip for both of them, and Diamond could understand why they didn't want to reveal their fun sides just yet. Oh yeah... things would be a mess if that happened.

Steele laughed at what Diamond said. "Yeah. It's not like we've torn apart Grimm while singing _Go Fortuna_ with the wrong lyrics."

"Staaaaaattuuueeeee ooff biiigg doogg wiiith fleeaaas!" Sigbjorn said, trying to sing a part of the song, much to the entire team's amusement. They broke out in laughter at the memory. It was good to see the team in such a good mood.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, Steele caught movement. A very slight, black blur. He got up and looked around, but there was no one there.

"Wha... What's wrong?" Sigbjorn said, still laughing.

"Hmm... Nothing. I thought I saw something, must've been my head messing with me," said Steele, though his tone lacked conviction.

"Why would something, or someone, be tailing us here? It's a school," said Ross, wavering off Steele's suspicions.

"I agree with Ross on this one," added Diamond.

"Of course you would. I'm the smartest one on this team!"

"Exactly, Ross," Sigbjorn said, smirking deviously, "You have the total IQ of the number of fingers on your left hand!"

"Yeah! No, wait, wait just a second-!"

They continued bantering as they made their way to the dorms.

But in fact, they were being watched. The figure let out a sigh of relief, then peeked out from behind a tree at the four new students. They seemed jovial, friendly even since the one in the brown jacket and sunglasses had waved to some of the other students.

The figure looked for more cover behind the group to tail them, but then a stern voice cut in.

"Ruby, what are you doing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hello, and thanks for taking an interest in Team SRDS! At the time of writing, I've uploaded two chapters onto this website. I haven't finished this story yet, but there are quite a few chapters that I've already written that are waiting to be uploaded, and I'll be doing that over the next few days.
> 
> Feedback is essential to me as a writer. If you have any suggestions or criticisms, please feel free to share them and I will do my utmost to act on them. If you wish to talk to me more about this story, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to discuss it with you.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	3. A Weiss-cold Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before they make it to their dorm, Team SRDS encounter an unexpected reception party.

"Gah!"

The voice made Ruby Rose jump out from the tree she was hiding behind. She turned quickly to see Weiss Schnee staring at her with a sort-of-confused look, her white clothing and hair shining intensely due to the sun.

"Oh... hehe, hey there, Weiss! What are you doing here?" Ruby said, slowly rubbing the back of her head, her hand ruffling her hair.

"I could be asking you the same thing, Ruby. Yang and Blake have already started training without us. I left them to look for you, but here you are, standing behind a tree and doing nothing! Is that all you ever do?!" Weiss said in frustration, her blank white eyes staring at ruby and her face going red, making Ruby shrink in on herself.

"Gee, it doesn't sound all that awesome if you put it that way..." Ruby said, a sweat drop forming.

"Just... answer the question, will you?"

"Well..." said Ruby as she prepared to tell Weiss her whole narrative.

* * *

_Ruby was walking down the stone path, humming her favourite song to herself. She was headed to the place that Blake and Yang were training at. She had decided to take a small detour down the path that led to the docking area. She liked the view from there. As she left the area, Ruby was slowly walking to her destination when she heard a voice._

_"...I know I look amazing in my new aviator jacket, but they aren't giving me those kinds of looks, you know what I mean?"_

_Ruby instinctively rushed behind a tree. Creeping up, she saw Professor Glynda Goodwitch turn to a group of students that Ruby had never seen before. Glynda looked at a student in a blue jacket, with a black t-shirt on the inside, wearing jeans and grey climbing shoes. A pair of blue-tinted shades covered his eyes, and Ruby had just seen him wave to a couple of students who were staring at the group. Before she could pay attention to any of the others, Glynda replied, "It is unusual for new students, or anyone, to come in when the semester's still running," said Glynda, "Don't worry. They'll get used to it in some time. Maybe you can make some friends then?"_

_Blue-Jacket and shades frowned but didn't say anything, then looked at a big muscular one wearing an olive jacket and military cargos and smiled to himself, shaking his head._

_Wait... the muscular one had a sniper rifle slung across his back. Ruby almost squealed with delight. She loved weapons! Maybe she should have approached them and try to make friends... but what if she acted like an idiot, like when she first met Weiss? She shuddered at the thought. No, maybe if she followed them, she'd find an appropriate time to introduce herself._

_She followed them throughout the campus, using her speed semblance to dart between cover. Besides, this was good practice for real-life situations, too. At one point, Glynda left the group, and they started walking towards the dormitories. On the way, one of them said something about a big dog with fleas, and all of them started laughing. Ruby used the distraction to slip between two pieces of cover, but then one of them in a white coat had looked in her direction. She heard the others convince him it was nothing, then more laughing as they walked back to the dorms._

* * *

"And that's when you appeared from behind and scared me!" continued Ruby, explaining everything to Weiss. She glanced behind the tree to the students, who were still visible.

"So, you see a group of new students and decide to follow them the first thing... without even introducing yourself?" asked Weiss.

"Now you're making me sound creepy!" said Ruby, pouting.

A smile appeared on Weiss's face.

"That's brilliant, Ruby. By judging their behaviour, we can find the most appropriate way to take them down, if we ever have to!" Weiss said, adopting an evil look.

Colour blanched from Ruby's face.

"But... but..." she protested.

"I don't wanna hear it, Ruby. Hm, maybe we can delay the practice session with the rest of our team," Weiss said. "Are you positively sure they didn't see you?"

Ruby grinned.

"Hehe, no, they didn't. I was moving too quickly. They won't be suspecting a thing."

* * *

"But you're sure you saw a shadow or a blur?" said Sigbjorn to Steele as soon as they rounded the corner.

Up until then, SRDS had been making casual talk, and Diamond and Ross's bantering had provided enough of that, though it was a bit less than ideal. This was the usual strategy for dealing with medium-distance followers, although it required a bit of luck. Make them think that they're completely hidden from view, and jump them on the next corner. SRDS had once been trained to identify Atlas intelligence operatives in a crowd, and as all of Remnant knew, Atlas forces were the best of the very best. They'd even beaten up one of Ironwood's spies who was tagging them from a distance. No one had seen Ironwood so angry and yet so pleased before. Diamond had nearly laughed right in front of him.

"Positive," replied Steele.

Sigbjorn turned to Ross and Diamond.

"Let's give our followers a little introduction," Ross suggested.

Sigbjorn nodded.

"But we don't want any trouble, remember that. Now find a hiding spot, everyone," Sigbjorn said, "Except for you, of c-" Sigbjorn turned to Diamond, but he wasn't there.

"Dammit," Sigbjorn muttered to himself, looking for a spot.

"Some people have it too easy," said Ross to himself and Sigbjorn, sighing, looking for a suitable spot.

(Approximately half a minute later)

Ruby poked her head out into the hallway, noticed it was clear, then went back into cover again behind the corner.

"It's clear," said Ruby, turning to Weiss, who nodded and casually entered the hallway with Ruby following them. The dorm hallway was mostly empty. The carpet covered the sound of their footsteps, and Ruby looked around, straggling a bit behind Weiss. Wanting to break the ice and talk to Weiss (huh... maybe she could use that rhyme someday), she spoke up.

"Heellloooooooo? Is anyone there?" Ruby said. Weiss turned around with a look of frustration on her face.

"Does your dumbness know no bounds? Can't you see there's no one here?" Weiss asked.

"But maybe there's an invisible ghost or something that was left behind to haunt this place, and it's here right now," said Ruby, attempting a joke. Weiss just shook her head, making Ruby giggle. Then, there was silence.

"You know, you should be careful what you wish for," said a voice out of nowhere, making Ruby jump in Weiss's arms, who also looked scared.

"PROTECT ME, WEISS!" yelled Ruby.

"I-It's ac-actually a g-ghost!" stuttered Weiss.

"Don't worry, I'm not a ghost, although I appreciate the compliment. Maybe it's my voice... do you think it should be more cheerful, or something more..." the voice trailed off.

A figure appeared in front of them. Blue jacket, shades... it was the same person that Ruby had seen before!

"Serious?" Diamond finished sternly. The girls were staring at him with their mouths agape; exactly the reaction he wanted. He was about to smile to himself, then remembered he was supposed to be scary and reconsidered the idea. Then, a person wearing a white t-shirt and coat magically appeared beside him with a white flash, followed by the one in the olive green jacket, then a guy in a black hoodie.

Steele quickly started observing them.

He was surprised to see Weiss Schnee before them. She recovered quickly from the fact that four people had appeared out of thin air in front of her and assumed a stoic expression. Her blue eyes rested on Sigbjorn for a second, then studied every one of them as if she was ready to take them down. He noticed that her left eye had a scar running down it from her lower forehead to the side of her face... possibly an old injury? Judging by the clothes she was wearing, one could say that she exuded class. However, Steele knew that he shouldn't judge someone too quickly. If Weiss wanted to live a comfortable life, she would've just spent it in the Schnee Mansion, but here she was at Beacon. Still, she didn't look too amiable.

"Diamond, that's enough scaring for one day," Black hoodie said to Blue jacket.

"Oh, come on! It was so much fun! We could've carried on with it, but you HAD to ruin the immersion!" Diamond replied.

The two girls looked at each other, stunned and clueless. "Are these the students, Ruby?" Weiss asked softly. She elicited a nod in response.

Black hoodie turned towards the girls.

"Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot," he said calmly, "we can introduce each other if you tell us why you were following us."

Ruby popped back to a standing position, rubbing her head. Her face was this time, a slightly lighter tinge of red than her hair. Weiss looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to deliver the explanation. Steele once again started paying closer attention to detail.

He noticed that her silver eyes darted for split seconds to Ross's sniper rifle and Steele's longsword. She did the same for Sigbjorn and Diamond, but her face fell slightly upon seeing nothing... so she was into weapons? Anyways, she seemed sort of reserved, but eccentric at the same time. _Huh... how unlike anyone I know_ , conceived Steele as he shot a sneaking glance towards Diamond, who appeared to be waiting for the explanation.

"M-my name's Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY" she stuttered, "this is Weiss, my teammate. I heard your group on the way from the docking area, and I started following you then because I was looking for the right time to introduce myself," Ruby explained.

Weiss sighed. She hadn't been ratted o-

"And then Weiss told me that we should follow you because she wanted to judge your behaviour and exploit your weaknesses or something!" Ruby said quickly, but not fast enough to escape Weiss or the others.

"Hey!" Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Kids nowadays, amirite, Steele?" said Diamond to White T-shirt.

"They're probably 17, Diamond," Steele said softly, but Weiss and Ruby picked it up.

"Of course they are..." Diamond muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose, frustrated that the entire world was older than him.

"It's okay, Diamond. One day you will grow," joked Ross.

"Smartass," retorted Diamond.

Ruby chuckled at this. She was 15, so she could relate to what he was feeling.

"Well, I'm Sigbjorn," said Black hoodie, "that over there, is Ross," he said, gesturing to Olive jacket. "Diamond," Blue jacket gave a two-finger wave. "Steele," White trench coat nodded.

"Well, this is all well and good," Weiss finally spoke, "but what you did was highly immature and that's no way to treat strangers!"

Sigbjorn snickered. This was going to be great.

"I wasn't the one who was following random people I didn't know to exploit their weaknesses!" he retorted. Weiss was taken aback.

"Ooooh, comeback," said Diamond, making everyone chuckle except Weiss.

"At least I wasn't intimidating anyone!" said Weiss, trying to get leverage, "Right, Ruby?"

"Uh... right?" she said hesitantly.

"Last I checked, you were the one who jumped into her arms yelling 'Protect me, Weiss!'," he said to Ruby, "and _you_ ," talking to Weiss now, "actually believe in ghosts! I mean, come on!" said Sigbjorn.

"Double kill!" said Diamond, as Weiss and Ruby adopted blank white eyes and their jaws dropped.

"I... ah... We..." Weiss stammered, "GAH! RUBY COME WITH ME!" she said, dragging Ruby by her hood since she was too stunned to walk. Steele and Diamond were giggling already, and even Ross had a broad smile on his face.

Weiss and Ruby went back the way they came, turning around that unfortunate corner.

"Was that great or what?" Sigbjorn said.

Weiss suddenly poked her head around the corner.

"I WILL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS! THAT IS A SCHNEE'S PROMISE!" she said, glaring daggers at Sigbjorn.

"Call me," winked Sigbjorn, making a phone with his hands and putting it to his ears and mouth, though he only did it to further annoy Weiss. It worked much better than he expected, and a red-faced Weiss was dragging a stunned Ruby across the campus, with Diamond clutching his stomach and rolling over the floor, laughing out loud. Ross began to chuckle.

"That's never growing old! The... the looks on their faces... that was ... priceless!" managed Diamond in between laughs.

"I can't believe you did that to a Schnee!" Ross said.

Sigbjorn smiled. This day was going marvellously well.

He'd heard of Team RWBY from sources back at Vale, and there was a lot of talk about them last week. Now, he'd just managed to piss off one, at most, two of their members. He wasn't too keen on going toe to toe against them, but then again, Weiss had followed them with bad intentions (sorta) and made the mistake of accusing SRDS of bad behaviour.

"I guess you could say that was... a Weiss-cold reception!" said Ross, putting on Diamond's shades that were lying on the floor.

Laughter echoed throughout the corridor, and they finally made their way back to their dorms without any further incident.

* * *

**(Later that day)**

Weiss spent the day going through textbooks to divert her attention, furiously scribbling down notes. Ruby lay on her bed that was dangerously suspended over Weiss's. She kept on thinking back to SRDS's reaction when she told them the reason they were being followed. None of them had minded, except Diamond, who had said something. And even THAT was only sarcasm. She'd just wanted to introduce herself, maybe make some friends. She felt guilty.

"Weiss?" she said peering beneath her bed.

Weiss looked up instantly as if her focus wasn't directed at the textbook all this time.

"You think we should apologize to them? You know... for following them?"

Weiss glared daggers at Ruby for an instant, then started thinking about it.

"Maybe..." she said, trailing off. Ruby couldn't tell whether she wanted to apologize only to clear the air or whether she was genuinely feeling bad.

The door then opened to reveal Yang and Blake, who were sweating from their workout.

"Why didn't you two come? We were waiting for you," Yang said, then turned to Blake, "That was amazing, we should do that again sometime!"

Blake shrugged, then pulled out a book from her bookshelf and started reading. Yang rolled her eyes, then, seeing that Weiss and Ruby hadn't replied, Yang turned to their direction.

"Are you two okay?" Yang asked, then looked at the book on Weiss's bed. "Don't tell me you didn't come because you were revising!" Yang groaned.

"No, it wasn't that," Ruby said.

"What happened, sis? You sound... weird."

Ruby sighed, then told Yang the whole story.

When she finished, she noticed Yang was trying to stifle a laugh.

"Yaaaaanng! It's not funny!" Ruby pouted, but Yang was already giggling.

"I can't believe he said that!" Yang said, now laughing. Seeing Ruby and Weiss's faces, though, she gradually calmed down

"What?" she finally asked.

"It's... just... I think we should go apologize," said Ruby.

"Not a bad idea," said Blake, "It only seems like harmless banter from the way you describe it."

Yang nodded, "And you never know, we might just make some more friends, which the rest of you clearly need more of."

"How dare you?!" Weiss said, looking at Yang angrily.

Ruby mulled it over. She had to make a good impression as a team leader; maybe the first one wasn't as good, but she had to try for her team's sake. And what was wrong with trying? More so, she genuinely did want to apologize and hopefully make friends with them.

_They seemed like good people too..._

"Okay, Team RWBY!" Ruby said, launching herself off of her bed, "As the leader, I'm going to apologize now. You coming along, Weiss?"

Weiss' face let some indecision show, but ultimately she simply shook her head and returned her attention to her studies again.

Ruby shrugged and left the room.

* * *

"WHERE IS IT?!"

A pile of clothes went flying behind Steele. "Oh, no," he sighed.

Ross popped back out of a suitcase, a t-shirt resting loosely on the top of his head.

"I can't believe that I lost it!" exclaimed Ross with a look of frustration.

"You _lost it_ a long time ago," said Steele calmly, and if looks could kill, Steele would be dead right there.

"Okay, WHOEVER HAS MY WEAPONS, GIVE THEM TO ME NOW, OR I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOUR LIFE IS DESTROYED!" said Ross.

"Not me!" said Sigbjorn from inside the bathroom, taking a shower.

"Calm down, Ross, you'll find it," said Steele.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? WHAT IS SO CALM IN THIS MESS?! " said Ross, punching the wall of the huge dorm.

"How could they lose it?!" he continued, "They had one job! One!"

"Try to think rationally," said Steele.

"I am thinking rationally! I'm thinking... I get to the tower, get in the goddamn elevator, and give Ozpin a piece of my mind! Maybe I'll even take Diamond with me!" said Ross.

"Ross..." a voice came from behind him.

"No! Don't 'Ross' me on this, Diamond! You know exactly why I'm so mad!" he said.

"Ross, I-"

"Dammit, Diamond, why can't you just..."

Ross trailed off while turning around to see Diamond holding his sniper rifle. Ross' beloved weapon, _Eclipse_.

"Looking for these?" said Diamond sarcastically.

Ross' eyes darted between him and the weapons for a few seconds. Then, Ross looked at Diamond sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Now, what would I ever be able to do without you guys, my best friends?" said Ross, laughing nervously.

"Nothing," Steele said with a sly smile.

"Dammit! I was having a moment here!" said Ross, plucking the weapons out of Diamond's hand. He ran his hand over the plating on _Eclipse_ , feeling the metal.

"Oh man, I missed you!"

Sigbjorn then emerged from the bathroom in a white t-shirt and black pyjamas.

"What was he yelling about?" he finished, pointing at Ross.

_Knock-knock_

Diamond frowned. Who could it be?

"I'll get it, Steele said, since he was closest to the door. He opened the door and was surprised.

"Hi!" said Ruby.

"Um, hey there," said Steele, opening the door wider so that everyone could see who it was. Diamond's eyes widened, but he was mostly confused. Even Ross could read the expression on his face.

"I just wanted to apologize for what I and Weiss did earlier. It was... wrong. But we're not usually like this! Weiss is extremely cool when she's not being... weird, or a nerd... or..." faltered Ruby, running out of arguments.

"It's okay, we get it," said Sigbjorn, being friendly, "And I'm sorry about... you know... the intense burns."

"That's okay," Ruby giggled.

Everyone turned toward Diamond, who quickly adopted a confused look on his face as if asking What did I do? After a long bout of staring, Diamond sighed. "And I apologize for being scary," said he, making everyone laugh.

"So... are you guys new students?" Ruby asked.

Though she didn't intend it to be that way, the question was suddenly embedded in everyone's minds as if someone set off a nuke. Were they students of Beacon now? Was this their new home? One thing was for sure; Ozpin held the answers.

Ruby just looked at every one of them, expecting an answer, but all she got was an awkward silence.

"That's... an answer we'll all have to wait for," said Steele finally.

"Oh, okay," said Ruby, unsure what Sigbjorn meant, then changed the topic to avoid things from getting too awkward, "Well, I can consider you friends, right?"

Sigbjorn's eyes widened, then he smiled and said, "Yeah, sure."

Ruby smiled and exhaled in relief, "That's great, then you're friends with the rest Team RWBY as well! I hope you'll have a better start with Blake and Yang... please don't burn them."

"As long as they don't follow us," smiled Sigbjorn.

Ruby laughed, "Sure. See you later," she said, waving goodbye and beginning to walk away. Diamond waved back as Steele closed the door.

SRDS looked at each other.

"Well, I guess we have friends now!" said Diamond finally with a smile, then looked at the horrible mess Ross had made inside the room. Clothes and accessories were strewn all over, and his teammates were glaring at him for that. Steele's OCD had started acting up, and he immediately said, "Right. I'll clean up and organize," and got to work without another word, gathering and arranging things at a remarkable, breakneck pace. His teammates internally considered helping him given the size of the task, but immediately decided against it. If even one item was misplaced, they wouldn't hear the end of it.

"I'm tired. I'm taking a nap," yawned Ross and then plunked down in one of the beds. Diamond marvelled at how the beds could sustain his gargantuan weight.

"Ditto," said Sigbjorn, collapsing on the bed next to Ross's.

Diamond looked at Steele, who was now dusting off his palms. The mess had been cleared up in less than a minute.

"How the hell did you even-" he began to ask.

"I have OCD powers," Steele replied jovially. Diamond shrugged and jumped on the bed that was above Ross's.

Steele climbed up to his bunk bed. He turned to his right to see that Diamond was staring at the ceiling.

The day's fatigue had gotten to Steele and so he decided to lay down with his eyes closing mid-way. He felt sleep drag him away the second his head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hey readers!
> 
> Hope you're enjoying reading so far. If you have any feedback for this story, please let me know.
> 
> See you in the next one!


	4. Extra Spice in the Cafeteria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team SRDS settle for a light meal before a match vs Team CRDL.

_**The next day,  
** _ _**Beacon Academy, 13:56:09 hours** _

A quick chime from the elevator notified Glynda that she had arrived. She corrected her glasses before the doors slid open, revealing Ozpin going through his Scroll.

She walked through, turning her head to face the Professor.

"They're here, Professor Ozpin," she said.

"So I've come to hear," said Ozpin, transferring the images he was viewing to a holographic computer on his desk. The air above the polished, light wood shimmered, then lit up with a video of SRDS's encounter with Weiss and Ruby. A second video then played, showing Ruby at the SRDS dorm's doorstep.

"This is interesting," said Ozpin as he brought the video to a close.

Glynda simply rolled her green eyes. Both SRDS and Weiss and Ruby had acted unprofessionally for Huntsmen, even if they still were in training. At least they had apologized to each other, though.

She scoffed. "And this is what they've learnt from their travels?"

"Perhaps," said Ozpin, "but I recommend you to now read the files transferred to your scroll, though they are outdated to the last report they made which was a considerable couple of years ago," said Ozpin as Glynda's scroll beeped as if on cue.

"And have they reached the sparring arena? I wish to see how they fare against one of our teams, although you may already know this" said Ozpin, looking up to Glynda.

"They have a match scheduled with Team CRDL 10 minutes from now. Both teams are currently gearing up. It'll be a 1v1, four rounds, as instructed," Glynda responded, checking her scroll between the sentences. "They could've been matched with a better team, but it's fair enough if you want them to meet average requirements."

Glynda closed her scroll, then looked at Ozpin.

"We'll have to see how much they have learned in combat. If they have progressed as I have imagined, I can only pray for Team CRDL's well-being," said Ozpin.

* * *

**(5 minutes later, in the Cafeteria)**

"Can't believe they ran out of ketchup just as we made it in here," Sigbjorn remarked as SRDS settled down on a table for their meal

"I will never understand why you like ketchup. It's disgusting and sickeningly sweet," exclaimed Steele, his face a caricature of disgust.

"It's all about the tomato _**FLAVOU**_ _ **R**_ ," retorted Sigbjorn sagely.

"You do know they make it out of pumpkins to save money right? The only thing that tomatoes have in common with that sludge is that it's red," Diamond spoke while reading the menu. "Oooooh, they have gnocchi on Wednesdays! This place is nice!"

They were eager to fill their stomachs before their first match-up. The Cafeteria was largely empty, save for a couple of students hanging around. Sigbjorn recognized one of them as Weiss Schnee.

Weiss was sitting alone at a table some distance away from SRDS when another girl in a white dress and a black overcoat with a bow over her head sat next to her. Sigbjorn loosened his jaw and focused on a point in front of him. This boosted his hearing, which he wanted to use to figure out what they were saying.

"Hello, Blake," Weiss greeted, "how's the research going in the library?"

Blake shook her head, sighing.

"Not good. I can't find anything related to the-"

A loud thump interrupted her. Sigbjorn turned to look at the direction of the noise, shoving a burger into his mouth. He saw a figure with burnt orange hair, blue eyes and a chest plate with a bird motif making his way toward the girls, followed by another boy with a clean-shaved head with a green mohawk. No doubt Brown Hair was the leader here since Mohawk was behind him, with quite an arch to his back and exuding less confidence. Sigbjorn had learnt long ago to read these traits in people.

"Fancy seeing you here," Brown Hair said loudly with a wink at Weiss. Weiss simply rolled her eyes.

"Cardin," she scoffed, "why are you here?"

"Well, you're quite the student, so I was you'd be able to help me with Professor Oobleck's assignments," then muttered in a gnarly voice that came from grinding his molars, "Not that your friend Jauney-boy will help me with it any more."

"Just why would we want to help you?" Blake hissed. "You're nothing more than a goon who takes his frustration out on Faunus."

"Oh really?! I didn't know you cared so much about them," Cardin said with a pointed glare. "Who says Faunus have any authority? They aren't even _real_ men, forget _Hunts_ -men. Ain't that right, Russel?"

Russel started laughing with a voice so raspy it hurt Sigbjorn's ears.

"You're wrong!"

Ruby and a tall blonde girl (Yang, Sigbjorn presumed) arrived at the table.

"Is that right?"

"That _is_ right, Cardin. And if you have a problem, why don't you take it up with Fox or Velvet of Team CFVY? I'm sure they'd _love_ to teach you a lesson," Yang said with a sly smirk.

"Oh please," Cardin scoffed. "The only reason they're even accepting Faunus is that Beacon needs to add diversity to its campus to keep up appearances. Nothing more."

"They don't need to do that since Neanderthals like you are already present."

Everyone turned to face Steele glaring at Cardin and Russel.

"Say that again," Cardin spoke slowly through his teeth.

"You heard him, jerk," said Sigbjorn with an angry expression.

"If you can't show basic decency to the people you're trying to save and your fellow Hunters, you don't know the first thing about being a Huntsman," said Diamond.

"What do _you_ newbies know about Hunting? Psht. I could take any and all of you on even a bad day."

"You better hope your actions match your words, since we have a matchup with you," Ross said. "But I don't think they do. So if we win and you lose, you're going to apologise formally to the Faunus and maybe reconsider your approach."

Cardin grit his teeth. He'd had enough. "And when _I_ win, you're going to be on cleaning duty for a month!"

"Ah, the thought of cleaning up after you truly scares me. Tell me, have you heard of using something we call a _toothbrush_?I promise you, it'll get rid of the week-old mortuary you call your mouth," Sigbjorn said as Cardin stormed off with Russel in tow.

Yang turned to Ruby and Weiss, trying hard not to laugh, "Please tell me those are the new students that you were following."

"WE WERE _NOT_ -" Weiss interrupted herself when she realised that there was no point and that everyone was staring at her.

"Hello there, Ruby and Weiss!" Ross waved enthusiastically.

"Um, hi," Ruby said awkwardly as Weiss continued staring at the table below her.

"Oh, hush you both," Yang said exasperatedly. "So, you must be the new ones! My name is Yang Xiao Long, and this is my partner Blake Belladonna. We're Team RWBY."

"Good to meet you," Sigbjorn said.

"Likewise. And thanks for your assistance, but I hope you know what you were doing," Blake said. "Cardin is- well you saw him. But he's not someone to trifle with when he's angry."

"Ah, I'm sure we'll win!" Ross said with an elfish grin.

"We had to intervene," said Diamond.

"Yes… please don't tell me that theirs is the majority opinion," Steele said.

"No, no. It's mostly just them," Ruby said.

"I'm sorry about earlier. And I wish you luck in your fight," Weiss finally said.

"Oh. Well, thanks," said Sigbjorn.

"See you then," Yang said as Team RWBY exited the cafeteria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hello there, reader(s)! Thanks for reading through this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it. This one is a little shorter than the ones that came before it, but that's because we've written this and the four chapters that come after together in one big chunk, which we divvied up according to content. As you may guess, those involve action.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	5. SRDS-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigbjorn goes up against Cardin Winchester for the first round of SRDS v CRDL

_**Later the same day,  
** _ _**B**_ _ **eacon Academy Amphitheatre, 14:15:03** _

"Hello, students! Thank you for your attention," said Professor Oobleck, his words echoing through Beacon's amphitheatre as if fired from a machine gun. "I know many of you are surprised by my presence in your combat class, but I have been appointed the announcer of the battles in light of the upcoming Vytal Festival. Many of you have indicated you will be taking part, and hence, we will be following similar rules and conditions for the matches that will occur henceforth, beginning with Team SRDS against Team CRDL. The minimum amount of Aura a combatant may have at any time during a fight is 15%, below which they will lose the fight. One may also win the fight by forcing their opponent out of bounds. Keep in mind that any attacks after a fight has been declared over will result in strict action. Having said that, I wish all the combatants good luck. And remember your training."

Sigbjorn put on his armour, looked at the door and he refocused himself. He knew he had to forget about the incident in the cafeteria, but he just couldn't take his mind off things. Team RWBY had offered his team the hand of friendship. He wondered how they might change him. His team hadn't had a permanent base of operations in a long time… no, this wasn't a base. It was a school. A place of learning.

He wondered if the results of this place's education would be better than the last's.

Oobleck's voice brought him back, informing him of the name of the student he would be fighting. "The student that our newcomer Sigbjorn Phoenix will be fighting today is none other than Cardin Winchester!"

Sigbjorn smiled and put on his helmet.

He was going to enjoy this.

The doors opened and he stepped out and he looked up to see Weiss, scowling at Cardin at the opposite end of the arena.

"What's up?" Jaune Arc asked a distressed Ruby. It had become usual for JNPR and RWBY to sit together at the dining lounge and sparring arena.

"Nothing, just Cardin picking on Faunus again," she sighed.

"Oh," Jaune said with distasteful inflexion. He knew from experience how that felt. "That jerk won't learn, will he?"

After Jaune had saved him in the Forest of Forever Fall, Cardin became more aggressive. Instead of taking that as a way of making peace by showing strength, Cardin had interpreted it as a mockery which pronounced that even the measly, weak Jaune was better than he. A declaration of war.

"Is _that_ Sigbjorn?" Nora Valkyrie gestured to the boy in the black hood who had just stepped out into the arena.

"Yep, and we're his teammates, looking for a place to sit!" Ross said from behind them with a smile.

"The rest of these arena seats are taken up, mind if we sit here?" Steele asked. "Besides, it'd be better if we had access to these stairs."

"Of course," said a red-haired girl, standing up to greet them. She extended her hand, "Pyrrha Nikos of Team JNPR. A pleasure to meet you."

"As in _the_ Pyrrha Nikos?" Steele asked, surprised. "Winner of the Mistral regional tournament four years in a row?"

"Oh my Oum, you're on Pumpkin Pete's cereal boxes!" Ross gasped in awe.

"Both of you shut up, you're making her uncomfortable," Diamond said in a low voice. He turned to Pyrrha, "Uh, the pleasure is ours!"

The three teams exchanged introductions, learned from Pyrrha how horrible the aforementioned cereal was for your health and settled in their seats. Sigbjorn paid close attention to the battlefield. A desert biome, or maybe a valley. A specially designed stadium. No doubt to serve as practice for the upcoming Vytal Festival, as Oobleck said.

"This first matchup is unfair to you, newbie! You're going to hell, you little shit!"

Sigbjorn raised one eyebrow. He was no stranger to inflated narcissism, but Cardin took that to a level he had rarely seen before.

It was not Cardin's ally against SRDS.

"Ah, so you know hell! Allow me to arrange a visit," came Sigbjorn's reply.

The crowd burst into laughter. Sigbjorn looked at Weiss, and she was giggling, but she stopped as soon as she saw him looking at her. He continued:

"But don't worry, piss fish. I'll leave your bones intact."

The crowd was dead silent as they knew Cardin's reputation. They were now seriously fearing for Sigbjorn's health.

Glynda then took a seat and began reading the first file on Team SRDS.

_SRDS_1_

_Name: Sigbjorn Phoenix (Team Leader)_

_Semblance: Video_

_Personality: Cares for teammates. Argumentative and quick to respond. Comes up with plans that are largely improvisational. Melee weapon expert._

_(Video which shows him laughing while zooming around enemy combatants, leaving nothing but a bright blue trail behind him. When he stopped moving, the combatants were tied up with what looked to be chains that seemed 2-3 inches thick.)_

"He's one of few people that will do whatever's necessary for the right cause. He can handle himself and his entire team well in combat," explained Ozpin. "What impresses me most is how he can manage to control his powers well and still know exactly what to tell his team to do."

They heard Glynda give the command to start.

Weiss' glances drifted between Cardin, who had his mace ready, and Sigbjorn, who was simply waiting for Cardin to make a move. She had enjoyed the show but she feared for Sigbjorn's safety.

Cardin rushed in swinging Executioner, and Sigbjorn realised that getting hit with said mace would lead to broken bones at the very least. He decided to coat his body in layers of Hardlight to soften the blow. He'd still feel the impact, and it would probably hurt, but his ribs wouldn't decide to impale his organs if he got hit.

He began observing Cardin's fighting style. He swung hard and had control, but he lacked the strength and technique to dish out repeated blows against an enemy, which meant that he put a lot of power into each strike. All the while Sigbjorn used his hardlight to evade and make sure he was staying out of Cardin's range. He needed to trap it somehow.

And then he saw it. How he was going to gain the advantage. It was simple. He was going to use the technique Vikings used when they fought with shields. They softened the edges so blades would cut halfway into the shield, and get stuck. Cardin's mace was providing crushing force rather than slicing, but the theory still applied. He could trap his weapon, and abuse the moment of weakness.

He summoned up a hardlight shield. It was of the Roman tower variety, and so It stretched to his feet.

Too late he realised that his plan was too risky. If the construct failed, he was going to get hit quite badly.

Cardin swung and made contact with the shield. At that moment, before he could recover, the shield enveloped the mace and hardened around it. Sigbjorn set the shield on the ground and ran past it to see Cardin tugging frantically at his mace. Since Cardin had put all of his strength into shattering the shield, it had buried itself quite deep into the construct. He didn't see Sigbjorn come in with a punch straight to the face. Cardin staggered back.

_How on Earth did his fist feel so hard?_

Sigbjorn had coated the outside of his fist with Hardlight to enhance the power of the punch. A neat little trick his mentor had taught him. He threw more punches, and while some connected, Cardin began blocking them. He cursed and realised that he would have to improvise, for Cardin could take more punishment than he thought. He waited for Cardin to throw a punch, blocked it, and noticed him place too much weight on his front foot.

Perfect. He had just found a way to move the fight into his home ground. He feinted for Cardin's face, but bent down and pulled his leg forward causing him to lose balance and hit the ground. Before wasting any more time, he quickly wrapped his arm around Cardin's throat and began to squeeze using a textbook rear-naked choke. Cardin wasn't going to go down easy, so before his flailing arms could hit Sigbjorn, he used his hardlight to summon chains that bound all of Cardin's limbs to the ground.

As the strength ebbed from Cardin's body, Sigbjorn released him and got up. He turned to hear Oobleck announce that he had won the fight, and in the din, didn't hear Cardin pick up his mace and charge towards him.

His only clue was the shocked expression on the audience's faces. He instinctively coated himself in a layer of hardlight just before he felt the mace connect with the back of his head. He stumbled forward, his balance lost.

"Hey, that's unfair!" Steele yelled.

"I never thought Cardin would stoop _this_ low," Weiss said with shock all over her face.

"Mr Winchester! You have disobeyed the rules!" Glynda Goodwitch announced, "There will be strict actions taken against you in-"

"You asshole! You have a habit of using cheap shots to win?" asked Sigbjorn clutching the back of his head.

_Shit. I didn't choke him out. Why? He's using force above the standard, so why didn't I finish the fight? Stupid. No more half-measures._

As Cardin charged forward again, Sigbjorn prayed for forgiveness. He didn't want to go this far, but he saw the intent to hurt behind Cardin's eyes.

When he first noticed Cardin's subpar footwork, his initial reaction was to use pain compliance to force a forfeit by Cardin. He chose to choke him out, and use a blood choke instead of a wind choke as it was less brutal.

Cardin, who was thinking with his mace instead of his head, chose to rush him again. This time Sigbjorn had no compulsion to stay merciful. He dashed to the side and kicked the side of Cardin's leg as hard as he could. He aimed for the knee, and he heard a sickening crack. His foot was coated in hardlight, and that combined with the specific point he had chosen to target led to Cardin's leg bending as a twig snapped in two. Unfortunately, it was bending the wrong way.

"You may be able to swing a mace, but I doubt you'll ever be anything more than mediocre, piss fish."

Although Cardin felt the pain from his knee blot out the world, they were nothing in comparison to the guilt and shame he felt at hearing those words.

As he was carried off the field by his teammates and a doctor, Sigbjorn walked back to his team on the other side of the arena.

"What a loser. You okay?" asked Diamond as Sigbjorn sat himself down. He nodded in response as Steele handed him a bottle of frozen water for the pain and blood rush.

"You know exactly how long it takes to choke someone out. But you didn't. You also didn't use your semblance to your full capacity. You could have ended the fight quickly if you had been offensive. Don't tell me you pity him." Steele questioned from beside him.

"Maybe. He's no enemy, so I didn't want to hurt him too badly. Guess that plan flew out the window," Sigbjorn said. He didn't say it, but his teammates knew he regretted breaking Cardin's leg.

"It's fine, the idiot wouldn't listen," said Steele. "I'm sure they'll patch him up."

"Judging by the crowd, I think they kinda knew Cardin had it coming for him. Even Ms Goodwitch seemed annoyed at Cardin more than you," Diamond said reassuringly.

"I think you did good. He's just a kid. Like us. No need to go too far on people like that. Regardless of how annoying they are." Ross said, getting up and picking up his hammer.

"Thanks, buddy. Good luck out there." Sigbjorn said. He was glad for his teammates' company. They knew exactly what to say.

"I'll do my best. And I propose we go for pizza after this. I doubt we'll be that tired by the end of this."

His team laughed and he waved them goodbye as he descended down the stairs to the pit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hello readers! Hope you're enjoying reading this story.
> 
> We wanted to make this struggle more balanced since they're facing a harder opponent and given SRDS' backstory (all will be revealed, just bear with us for a bit).
> 
> And who knows what's going to happen to Mr Cardin Winchester over here...
> 
> Anyway, all feedback is appreciated. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment on the chapter or drop a PM and we'll be sure to respond.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	6. SRDS-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Round 2 of SRDS v CRDL: Ross Auburn vs Russel Thrush

Glynda swiped across the screen to move to the next file.

_SRDS_2_

_Name: Ross Auburn_

_Semblance: Earth_

_Personality: Kind and approachable. Can get emotional when friends are concerned. Skilled at ranged combat and reconnaissance._

_(Video of Ross defeating an Ursa by throwing a huge piece of rock at it, then going to work with his sniper rifle)_

Ross knew the value of good recon, and he wanted to get down to the arena and start scanning for advantages, but he had to do something first. To everyone's surprise, Ross walked over to the medical tent situated just next to the entrance that led to the arena. In it, he saw Cardin, very much awake but staring blankly at the top of the tent. He seemed broken somehow. Ross walked over to him, and without a word, placed his palm on his knee.

"What the fuck do you want? Here to taunt me some more?" Cardin's voice was filled with venom, but straining to hold itself together. Now that Cardin was looking him directly in the eye, Ross noticed the tear tracks across his face.

"This might hurt a bit, but I'll need you not to move. If you mess up the alignment, I'll have to break it again to set it properly. Can you manage that for me?" Ross's tone was smooth and gentle.

"What are you doi-AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Cardin's voice pierced the air. Around his leg, he saw what looked like small granite slabs circle around his leg and begin twisting and snapping it into place.

"MR AUBURN! LEAVE MR WINCHESTER ALONE, OR YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FOR MISCONDUCT!" Oobleck's voice on the P.A. boomed with anger. Glynda tapped Oobleck's arm lightly, telling him to ease a bit. "He means no harm."

She gestured at Cardin's Aura meter. Oobleck was as surprised as the other students to see that it was rising instead of falling.

Ross paid them no mind. He needed to focus if he wanted to get this right. Once he was certain that the leg's bones, muscles and tendons were aligned correctly, he began to channel Aura through his palm and into the granite slabs. Knitting, re-attaching and healing the damage Sigbjorn's kick had caused. After a minute, the process was done.

Cardin felt the pain cease, and to his surprise, his leg felt better. No longer broken. Ross had healed it to its state before the fight.

"I'm no expert, but that should do it. You should wait until the doctor checks it out and lets you know for sure," Ross said, walking back out of the tent.

He faced Oobleck and Glynda. "I'm sorry. I should've told you first that I was going to heal him. It slipped my mind."

"No, Mr Auburn, you have _my_ apologies for misunderstanding your intentions," Oobleck said. "But for expediency, you will not be allowed to wait for your Aura to be restored. You will have to continue with the 82% you have left, or forfeit."

"What?! That's totally unfair! He healed him so he should be given a chance," Jaune said.

"It would allow us to see them against each other's best," Ren added.

"Maybe so. But if it were a real fight, and Ross had chosen to heal someone, he wouldn't be given a chance to catch up. The opponent would press on," Pyrrha reasoned. Steele nodded in assent.

"I understand," Ross said to Oobleck, climbing onto the stage. He looked at Russel. "Don't go easy on me."

"And he knows it. I have faith. My money is always on Ross, so let's just sit back and enjoy the show," Sigbjorn said, kicking his feet up while snatching Diamond's tub of popcorn. In furious retribution, Diamond poured his cola on Sigbjorn's head.

Ross started observing the field. There were rocky outcrops here and there to serve as cover. The ground beneath was made out of hardened clay. Using his semblance, Ross discerned the composition of the ground beneath the entire arena along with its depth, which turned out to be about 30 metres before being interrupted by a thick steel perimeter barricade. This arena was simulating natural conditions of a rocky plateau. Down to the soil composition.

His opponent, Russel, stood at the opposite end of the stage, holding a pair of daggers. He seemed to be itching for the fight to start.

When he heard Oobleck's voice tell him to start, he saw Russel charge at him. He raised his hammer and looked through the scope only to realise that Russel was too close. He narrowly missed being stabbed in the rotator cuff, before he deflected a second stab with the handle of his hammer.

_Shit. I'm at a disadvantage. He's got two blades, and he's quicker. He's trained so they're coming in from different directions. I'll have to keep him back._

He raised an earthen wall when Russel tried to stab him in the stomach, and just like Cardin, the daggers impaled themselves into the wall. Unlike Cardin however, Russel didn't try to pull them out by directly using all his strength. He quickly jerked the blades back and forth, and within seconds, they were out.

"That won't work on me you know. Give me a little more credit," rasped Russel as he unleashed a flurry of attacks.

Ross decided to go on the offensive. He started using earthen walls to restrict movement. Initially, some managed to connect and deal damage. However, Russel kept flipping over most of them and dodging Ross' hammer swings. He was slowly gaining the advantage. Ross began scanning for the spot on the arena with the loosest soil density. He didn't want to spend any more aura than necessary, especially since he was already not running at full capacity and consuming it to create the earth walls. But the walls weren't just for defence. He was moving in a spiral pattern, closer and closer to his desired point. The structures were also made to block off alternate paths to ensure Russel was following him. Not that he had other plans.

But this arrangement also meant that Ross had less and less space to manoeuvre against Russel's quick strikes. Soon enough, Russel managed to connect a flurry of blows, draining Ross' aura by a significant margin. Ross managed to counter it by immobilising Russel's feet, and delivering a few good punches before Russel retreated.

They glanced at the screen. Ross' Aura was at 40%, versus Russel's which was at 60.

Russel smirked. "Nowhere to run, big guy," he said, gesturing around him.

"Yeah," Ross panted "I know."

With great focus, Ross began tunnelling vertically upwards from the steel barricade to where Russel was standing.

 _It has to be quick, or he'll notice!_ Ross thought as he saw Russel readying himself for a final bout.

He directed all his concentration to the tunnel.

Russel had only a few moments to notice what was going on before the ground beneath him gave way and he fell screaming into the pit. It was made wide enough that he couldn't break his fall using his daggers, so he connected directly with the barricade. His Aura dropped from 60% to 20%. Ross' Aura held at 30%. He decided to finish this by making the walls around Russel slowly squeeze him until his Aura hit 15%, which meant Russel was subdued.

"Ross Auburn wins!"

Ross allowed himself a smile before creating an earthen ladder to allow Russel to climb up.

"Nice one out there," said Sigbjorn as Ross climbed up the stands.

"Healing Cardin right before the fight was a risky move," Steele said. "You ended up quite low on Aura."

"I made it work, didn't I?" Ross said with a grin. "I underestimated how fast he was in the beginning."

"You're up," Sigbjorn said to Diamond as the next matchup was announced.

"Right," Diamond said, inhaling and exhaling deeply, looking at the arena.

"You got this," Ross encouraged.

"Yeah. Thanks. You're right. I got this." Diamond smiled before heading to the stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hey, reader(s)! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! This fight was pretty fun to conceptualize and write. It also adds more dimension to Ross.
> 
> Moving on, all feedback is appreciated. If you have any suggestions or remarks, feel free to leave a comment on this chapter or a PM and we'll be sure to respond.
> 
> See you in the next one!


	7. SRDS-3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Round 3 will decide whether SRDS wins the overall match: it's Diamond vs Dove Bronzewing.

_SRDS_3_

_Name: Diamond Jet_

_Semblance: Electromagnetism_

_Personality: Sarcastic, Jovial. Skilled at medium and close-quarters combat, as well as surprise attacks. Is virtually open to long-range attacks. Good pilot. Optimistic._

_(Video of seven armed people in armour standing in a room, suddenly being disarmed, thrown against walls and punched by nothing. Finally, Diamond reveals himself once everyone is down)._

"Diamond Jet vs Dove Bronzewing," Oobleck called out.

Diamond surveyed the arena. Ross had created numerous earthen walls during his fight. They served to barricade movement, which was a problem for Diamond, who was used to overwhelming enemies from multiple angles and having options to retreat/close the gap on his opponents. On the other hand, he had some cover to use his pistols, although his opponent had even more.

 _I could try climbing and attacking from above… no, that would take too much time and energy… I couldn't sustain it repeatedly._ _He could spot me and get me at that range; a Beacon student without a gun doesn't exist. Even if I cloak myself and he swings blind, there's a good chance I'll have to retreat, and that he'll hear me._

He looked behind him. There was little cover to fight from here. He could trace a straight line from his position to the edge of the arena.

_Hmm…_

Dove stood about 30 metres ahead of him, showing no intention of charging him. The nearest piece of cover in Dove's direction was a boulder about 15 metres away. He could make it if he leapt for it. From here began an arch of high earth that spiralled towards Dove. He had a plan. Not as straightforward as Sigbjorn or Ross, and it was a little risky, but it could work if he pulled it off correctly.

_He's expecting me to come to him, huh? Well, here goes…_

He pulled out both his pistols and ran straight in Dove's direction, opening fire. He didn't expect to get any shots in. He noticed that Dove had begun running for cover while simultaneously targeting him: his sword split down the middle to reveal a gun barrel.

Diamond heard three loud cracks in the distance as he leapt for the boulder. Two of them hit the boulder as he felt one bounce off of the Aura covering his left arm. He grimaced in pain as he examined his arm, and then studied his cover. Dove couldn't see him. Good. He'd have to maintain that for just a little longer. He checked his Aura. 85%. The bullets didn't have a lot of stopping power. He had all the Aura he needed.

As Diamond snuck through the structures, Dove yelled out, "What? Are you afraid? You should be since your aim back there was terrible."

"You're not so bad yourself, running all the way back here," came Diamond's voice from the rocks. "I can see you sweating in fear even though you're surrounded by all this cover."

Dove grinned. What an idiot, giving away his position like that. Dove gathered that Diamond was somewhere to his left, on the same level ground. Dove didn't want to risk being surprised in the closed space and instead decided to draw his opponent out.

"You're the one that's hiding, not me."

No response.

"Time's running out. You could just forfeit."

Silence.

Dove was beginning to get annoyed. "Come out here and fight like a real Huntsman!"

"Okay," Diamond's voice echoed from the top of the arch as he leapt towards Dove, firing both his pistols again. This time, the bullets did connect, dropping Dove's Aura to 75%.

Dove grimaced in pain, but slashed upward and caught Diamond's shin. As Diamond struggled to get up, Dove noticed that he had no melee weapon and charged.

Right then, Pyrrha squinted as she picked up on what looked like a heat haze. The kind one would see on a hot summer day. She saw it just behind Diamond and wondered if it was part of his semblance. Judging by their expressions, his teammates had seen it too.

The others seemed to be at a loss.

"Why'd he charge in without a melee weapon?" Weiss asked. "The least he could do is keep some distance between himself and Dove to use his guns effectively."

"You'll see soon enough," said Sigbjorn with a knowing smile.

Dove kept on jabbing and slashing using his sword. Unfortunately for him, Diamond seemed to be dodging everything he was dishing out, retreating to where he had come from. He continued enticing Dove using taunts, much to the latter's fury.

"I'm going to make you pay eventually!" Dove yelled.

"Welcome to the club," Diamond grunted as he avoided a slash, "they're having jackets made."

Keeping an eye on the Aura meters as he continued attacking, Dove came to a quick realisation and briefly paused.

"So, your Semblance is dodging, huh? That's why your Aura is going down."

Diamond shrugged wordlessly, prompting Dove to charge again.

"It won't work!"

"Why not?" Diamond said from behind the mirage. "You're not landing a single hit!"

Dove grinned. Diamond's Aura would run out eventually; already it was at 70%. But even before that, Dove would drive this idiot out of bounds.

Diamond came to this realization too late, as his back faced the very edge of the boundary marker and Dove cut off his escape routes. Dove grinned. He was almost at the edge of the boundary, cornering Diamond.

"You should've thought of that," Dove said, sheathing his sword and clenching his fists. He attempted to throw the final cut, but he saw the mirage disappear.

He didn't have time to process it though, as he felt a vice-like grip on his wrist that aligned his arm across his shoulder and flipped him across a hard object. He landed on the outer side of the marker with a loud, unpleasant thud.

"What the-"

Seemingly out of nowhere, Diamond appeared, kneeling on the other side of the marker line. "Morote Seoi Nage. Two-handed shoulder throw. It's Judo. Next time, pay attention to your opponent more, and try not to get too cocky."

"Dove Bronzewing is out of bounds, so the winner is Diamond Jet!"

"Uhh, what just happened?" Nora asked.

"It was a feint," Steele explained. "When Dove charged him with his sword, Diamond did indeed begin using his semblance. However, Dove guessed incorrectly: his semblance has little to do with reflexes. Diamond turned himself invisible while creating an illusion to draw Dove to his edge of the arena. From there, he used Dove's momentum against him to throw him out of bounds."

"That's really cool!" said Ruby.

"Was that the distortion behind him?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yep," Sigbjorn responded. "Sadly, it's impossible to bend light perfectly, but he does it well enough. You can't see it on a plain background and even otherwise you have to be looking for it. I'm impressed that you managed to see that. They don't put you on Pumpkin Pete's for nothing I see."

"Maintaining the illusion must have been difficult. The voice and footwork would have had to match up, otherwise, Dove could have suspected something," said Ren.

"He couldn't afford any contact either. His constructs aren't tangible like mine. Dove's sword could've passed straight through. But since it's an illusion, Diamond could make it dodge as fast as he could comprehend," Sigbjorn explained.

"See? I told you that you got this," Ross said with a grin as Diamond walked back up.

"Thanks," Diamond said with a grin. He then turned to Steele. "You ready?"

Steele sighed. "Well, I can't simply freeze the ground and make it too slippery to fight anymore, not with those earth walls. But I'll think of something or the other."

"Good luck," wished Jaune.

Steele smiled wryly, "I think my opponent will need that more than I."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hello, reader(s)! Thanks for reading, and I hope you're enjoying yourselves. I'd just like to let you know that I would appreciate any feedback on any of these chapters.
> 
> See you in the next one!


	8. SRDS-4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SRDS have an opportunity for a clean sweep as Steele fights Sky Lark.

_SRDS_4_

_Name: Steele Snow_

_Semblance: Cryokinesis and flash teleportation_

_Personality: Calm, to-the-point, mostly serious (though he can be jovial with friends). Sensitive to sensory stimuli. Can come up with creative solutions and strategies in fights. Relies on semblance quite a bit when fighting._

_(Video of Steele teleporting so fast between two enemies, he's fighting both at once and all that's visible are random white flashes around them as slight frost forms on the camera lens)_

The second Ross had set up the _A_ rena with his rock formations, Steele had cursed. The environment had changed, so he would have to reconsider. The other factor he would have to consider would be the opponent himself. You wouldn't have to be a tactical genius to figure out SRDS was experienced. So, when he saw Sky coat his halberd in Ice Dust and look nervously around the arena, he realised he was going to be dealing with a rookie. But one that had noticed his teammates getting beat and wasn't taking chances.

Though his initial plan didn't work, Steele was coming up with another. He was going to be borrowing from three very good sources of inspiration. And as with all plans, there was a factor of risk. He checked his quiver. If his plan failed, there was going to be no chance of recovery. He scoffed. The margin of error on this one was single digits. He wasn't going to mess it up.

He stepped on the platform and loaded his crossbow with his first bolt. The feathers were plucked from the finest geese in Remnant. These bolts would fly true. But only if the marksman knew how to aim. He used a one-handed crossbow because it meant that he couldn't afford to miss. Every shot counted, and he couldn't be sloppy. A constant reminder of his promise to strive for excellence.

When Oobleck announced the commencement phase, Steele began scanning for his entry point. Unlike Sigbjorn or Ross who scanned the combatant or environment, Steele simply took all of it in at once. He forced his brain to accommodate every single piece of information while sorting it in order of usefulness.

Sky moved forward with his halberd in the traditional stance, the point facing his opponent, and the axe-blade facing downwards. His footwork was on point. And he was making sure to stay away from the walls while scanning for any irregularities with Steele. In short, he was expecting Steele to replicate one of his teammates' methods. He was wrong. Steele was going to replicate all of them.

When he got within engaging distance, Steele began to use his semblance. He was cooling the carbon dioxide in the air around him, making dry ice. A large amount of it. His Aura began to dip at a moderate rate. He was reaching 83% and with that, he had created enough dry ice to obscure the entire Arena. Sky began panicking. As he should have. Unfortunately, His focus was on himself, and he had picked a terrible weapon against Steele. While he was staying vigilant and wasn't trying to draw any attention to himself, his weapon was large and top-heavy. This would be essential to Steele's plan.

Meanwhile, Steele began modifying his bolt by enhancing the payload with some additional Ice Dust that would activate on impact along with a symbol infused with his Aura. When he was ready, and the bolt was in place, he used his semblance to part the fog and aimed at the axe head of the halberd. He took a breath, held it, aimed and fired.

It made a whistling sound as it missed the axe-head completely and landed behind Sky.

"One down, one more to go."

Sky whipped his head around and charged at Steele. Steele braced himself. He knew this was going to hurt, but in chess, one must sacrifice the pawns to ensure a checkmate. When Sky smashed the halberd diagonally across Steele's chest, Steele instinctively raised his hands and softened the blow. His Aura still dropped. Hitting 61% instantly. Another slash and Steele's Aura hit 50%.

Steele summoned the Dry ice back again and used the cover to escape to the other side of the arena. His aura was now at 33%. But the trap was set. He used his semblance and began to summon ice. Hard, heavy ice in jagged shapes that refused to flow through the air smoothly. With a smile, he called out to Sky and waited for him to hear him. When he did, again he charged at him. But he was slower, and the audience knew why. Sky, drunk on confidence, had abandoned his attitude of fear. If he had maintained it, the fight would have been his. But Steele's low Aura, caused him to forego all thoughts of restraint. He rushed in, ready to end the fight and win his team some much-needed honour.

Steele had positioned himself well. Near multiple earthen walls, and with his marker and ice patch in front of him. He waited, and as Sky swung, he moved to the left and with a single wave of his arm dissipated the smoke cover. It was then that Sky realised what was different. His halberd's blade was coated in what looked to be around 2 kilograms of ice. He hadn't noticed it due to the fog, but now, as the sharp jagged spikes smashed into an earthen Wall and embedded themselves in it, he realised that Steele had missed his shot on purpose. He abandoned the weapon instantly and ran at Steele, ready to end this fight on his terms. And that's where the second part of Steele's plan came into play. The second Sky stepped onto the Ice Patch, Steele's Aura dropped from 33% to 17%. Steele had baited him into a trap that froze him completely from the waist down. He couldn't move or even swing his fists. Try as he might, he couldn't get free.

Steele then spent his final bit of Aura dropping it to 16%, coating his fists in ice and punched Sky three times, and each subsequent punch dropped Sky's aura 29%. Leaving him with a total of around 15%, which meant he had won by a single-digit margin.

"I'll give you credit. You swing that halberd like nobody's business. You almost got me. It was my pleasure," said Steele to the boy, who was now looking almost as tired as Steele felt.

"That was a bold play. Too close for comfort, Steele." Sigbjorn said, passing him the same water bottle he had given him.

Steele took it, froze it and pressed it in between his arms. He closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. "Did you doubt me?"

"Not for a moment" came the reply from Diamond, who was packing his pistols up. He removed the slide, and in doing so, rendered the guns useless. The slide was custom built, so anyone who stole them would be unable to sell them.

"I liked the bait and switch. You used something from all of our plans. A nice touch," said Ross as he started using his aura to heal Steele.

"Oh stop it! I'm not so badly hurt," said Steele, but he was glad for the relief. The aura stopped any major damage, but it still hurt quite a bit. Not to mention his lungs feeling frozen due to the carbon dioxide inhalation.

"That was awesome! How far ahead did you plan when you were facing him?" asked Jaune, his voice barely able to contain his excitement.

"That was most impressive. I see now that you are formidable hunters in your own right," said Pyrrha as she walked up to shake Steele's hand.

"I'm still quite hungry, so do y'all mind if we go back to the Cafeteria to eat? I never got to finish off my Borgar before Cardin interrupted," remarked Sigbjorn, rubbing his belly. "Hey, Ross! You did say we should go for pizza! Are we still on? I am famished, and I know you lot are too!"

"I swear, you think with your stomach more than your head. But we did agree on it. I suppose some food wouldn't hurt that much," sighed Steele as he got up from his seat.

"Well, if it's food you guys are looking for, we have a carnival in town today. Maybe we could go there in the evening!" said Ruby, her voice bursting with energy. She wouldn't miss this opportunity to celebrate with her new friends for the life of her.

"Will there be food?" asked Sigbjorn. "How much? And can I eat as much as I want?"

"No," said Ross, Diamond and Steele simultaneously.

"How much could you possibly eat anyway?" laughed Yang.

"Trust me, we've been driven out of towns for impacting their food supply," warned Diamond, as turned to face the teams.

"I thought we agreed never to discuss the Tragedy of Kuchinashi ever again!" exclaimed Sigbjorn as he turned to the others. "It was one time! I swear! Complete and total accident!"

"Bullshit," said Ross, disguising the remark as a heavy cough.

"What time did you say this Carnival was? I need to rest up, maybe catch some sleep," asked Diamond.

"Don't worry, it's in town for a few days. We can go in the evening if that's alright with you all," said Ruby.

Steele disliked the idea of spending time with anyone other than his team but was too tired to argue. This Carnival would serve as a nice change of pace, though. So far, Team RWBY seemed somewhat interesting, and they had been decent to him and his teammates.

"Then it's settled. Today evening. We'll all go together. What about you guys? Will you be joining us?" asked Ross.

"Unfortunately, we will not. Jaune here wants to get some training in. Perhaps next time," said Pyrrha with a small smile.

"Yeah," Nora said with a disappointed frown as they started to walk away to class with Team RWBY. "Hey Ren, you'll at least make pancakes right?"

"'Yes, Nora. I will be making pancakes." said Ren in a monotone that indicated that he'd been doing this for a while.

"'Kay. Later then," said Sigbjorn as he rose, walking back to the dorms with his teammates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hi, reader(s)! Thanks for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. And with that, the SRDS vs CRDL fights come to a close. I hope each fight is better than its previous version.
> 
> There is yet to be some editing done for the next few chapters which we'll hopefully do soon (and delete this paragraph upon doing so).
> 
> With that out of the way, I'd like to say that all feedback is welcome. Please drop a comment on this chapter or PM us if you have any remarks and we'll get back to you ASAP.
> 
> See you in the next one!


	9. Vale... we meet again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading towards the Carnival as planned, Teams RWBY and SRDS converse on the Bullhead en route to Vale.

_**The same day,  
18:03:45 hours, Beacon Academy docking area** _

_Nothing. Embarrassing!_ Sigbjorn had said explicitly to Steele, grabbing him by the shoulders, his voice serious and cold as his red eyes bored into him. Well, so much for that. Steele had just finished exposing Blake Belladonna as a Faunus while they were acquiring a Bullhead to get to the Carnival.

"How did you know? Did my teammates tell you?" asked Blake with surprise written all over her face.

Ruby, Weiss and Yang shook their heads.

"No, just the way you tie your ribbon defies the laws of physics... it's hollow and yet it holds itself against gravity like that. Since most Faunus do not like exposure and they have their hybrid phenotypes expressed usually on their heads, I made an educated guess and it paid off," explained Steele as they seated themselves. "You should be familiar with our beliefs on Faunus after the incident in the Cafeteria though."

Blake's expression softened marginally and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well, that's a relief," stated Yang from behind her amber-eyed friend as the Bullhead took off from the northern side of Campus.

As it flew over the cliffs, the City of Vale came closer and more into focus. Sanus had been experiencing the last days of monsoon as the winds carried the clouds to the eastern and northern Kingdoms of Atlas and Mantle. This resulted in less cloud cover, allowing the Hunters a picturesque, bird's eye view of the commercial and residential districts of Vale, separated by the northern harbour. The sight of the sunset painting the city in crimson hues served to refresh their minds.

"That's a sight to remember," Ross said as he whipped out his scroll and started taking pictures, making a mental note to draw the best ones later.

As he looked at the residential district, he remembered something.

"Hey Diamond, you contact Aunt Aurora yet?"

"Not yet. I'll do it when Sigbjorn stops remotely stopping all outgoing communication," said Diamond, squinting at Sigbjorn.

"You do know that the spooks over at the White Fang have been known to use those pings to track both you and the person you're talking to, right? I've been running a subroutine on all of your scrolls to make sure that they can't track you. Your communication is limited to the encrypted contacts, but this way we know our families are safe."

"Okay, okay, I got it," Diamond said, raising his hands.

"Wait, the White Fang?" Blake asked curiously and suspiciously. "You've seen them recently?"

"Nothing much, we helped Atlas' forces locate and take down some outposts they were setting up," Steele said. "Why do you ask?"

Blake tried searching for an apt response. She didn't find one.

"We intervened in a White Fang robbery of a Dust shipment last week," said Yang. "Guess you could say we've been keeping an eye out."

"Yeah, that's right," Weiss said. "We stopped it, but they managed to escape."

"Wasn't it... on the news?" Steele said with a hand on his chin.

"That was you guys? Cool!" Ross said, then turned to Yang. "I look forward to sparring with you sometime."

"Woah there, I might actually take you up on that challenge after seeing you in action today," Yang said with a grin. Ross smiled right back.

"I noticed that most people here already know each other," Diamond said. "You've begun sparring sessions as well. How long have you guys been here?"

"About a month," said Ruby.

"Judging by people's reactions to us arriving on campus, you don't usually get as many new students between semesters?"

"Ah, those were probably the second-years," Yang replied. "The Vytal Festival is happening in Vale this year, so we've been slowly getting transfer students from different Academies."

"Ohh," Ross said, nodding slowly. "Is this Carnival linked to that?"

"Yep! There 's going to be lots of events leading up to the Festival, and the Carnival is the first of them," said Ruby. "It's supposed to set the tone for the Festival and last until it ends."

"Essentially, there'll be performances, wares and food from all Kingdoms," said Weiss.

"Food from everywhere?"

"This sounds better and better by the minute!"

Sigbjorn and Ross grinned at each other.

"Anyway, you mentioned something about having family here?" Yang asked.

She noticed Steele's eyes widening, but he didn't say anything. Probably saw something interesting down below.

"Steele and I do," Diamond said. "He's a native while I... well I was born in Mistral, but I've spent most of my childhood here. Are any of you locals?"

"Sure are!" Yang grinned as she wrapped her arm around her younger sister's neck. "We grew up on Patch, but we've been here enough times to get acquainted with the city."

"Quit it!" Ruby said, trying unsuccessfully to move Yang's arm, much to everyone else's amusement.

"Really, why? I can't see the _arm_ in this!" Yang said with a wink.

"Yang Xiao Long, do not you dare begin your stupid jokes on this otherwise wonderful evening!" Weiss warned.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll-"

"Looks like this is our stop," Sigbjorn said as the Bullhead touched down at the edge of a park, close to a street. Even from inside, he could see flyers directing pedestrians to the Carnival. He subconsciously waited for his teammates to get off the vehicle before doing so himself.

"Looks like we're within walking distance," Steele said.

"Neat. Let's go," Sigbjorn said, looking around at the City of Vale. It had been some time since they were last here. The familiar sights of blocky buildings and wide streets invigorated the group as they moved with increasing enthusiasm towards the Carnival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Hello, readers! Glad to see you reading this chapter!  
> This chapter isn't that long, but its goal was to set up the Carnival and detail the world and characters a little. I think we've managed that. As always, if you have any feedback for the story, please feel free to share it.  
> See you in the next one!


	10. Carnival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teams SRDS and RWBY arrive at the Carnival

**_ (Approximately 10 minutes later) _ **

"So, what's the plan?" Steele asked once they reached, earning questioning glances from Yang and Ruby.

"Plan? What plan?!" Ross said, laughing. "The plan is to have fun!"

"Yeah," Steele responded with a roll of his eyes, "except--"

"Look at all this food!" Sigbjorn said, his mouth watering.

"I bet they have a dessert section too," Ruby said, equally excited, practically smelling all the chocolate in the world.

Ruby and Sigbjorn looked at each other and each of them recognized the other as a fellow connoisseur of fried goods. They nodded and began planning their routes to maximise consumption in their limited time.

"Wait, I thought we're going for the games first?" Yang asked.

"But--but _Yaaaang_ that can wait!"

It'll have to," Weiss chimed in, "Since we all should conduct ourselves professionally in this crowded area instead of shamelessly indulging ourselves."

"You're the shameless one, bringing your rules upon me! I am an unbound spirit free as the wind. You could sooner divert a river from its course than change my nature!" Sigbjorn retorted.

"Oh boy," said Diamond with a nervous laugh as he watched the bickering only grow in scale as Blake sighed and Steele smirked at Ross, who hung his head.

"Alright, alright, how about splitting up?" Diamond added quickly before they had the chance to squabble further.

"Wait, didn't we come here to learn more about each other?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, but, well, we could still do that. Divvy up into people who like similar activities, and then everyone gets what they want, right? Plus, we could all gather at one place for dinner," Diamond suggested.

"I like the sound of that," said Yang. Similar phrases of assent came from the rest of the gathering and they decided to split up.

"Well, are we going to just stand here?" asked Weiss as the group started to break up.

"Nope. Let's look around, see if we can find anything that suits us," said Sigbjorn, rubbing his palms and blowing into them, for it was slightly chilly.

"Us?! What makes you think that I'm going with you?" Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Alright then, I'm leaving. But don't come running back to me when you find out that you're all alone," said Sigbjorn, walking off. He was about to attack a burger place.

"Well, I see that manners aren't your speciality," chimed Weiss from behind him.

"You're the one who didn't want to tag along."

"Excuses are tools of the weak-minded, you know."

"Why on Earth would I be making excuses when I'm in a carnival? Have you seen anything like this in Atlas? Old Steelprick would rather be caught in his tighty-whities than allow for 'Non-regulated entertainment.'"

"You're from Atlas? I never knew. And show some respect when referring to our leader, his name is Ironwood, not Steelpri--" Weiss realised the joke, then said with a sigh and a disapproving tone, "Oh I see what you did there."

"Hehehe, well, Atlas has a reputation for being a stick in the mud, and I am the life of every gathering I go to, so I see why you didn't make that connection."

"Are you sure that you're the life of every gathering and not the laughing stock?"

"100% positive."

"So ignorance brings you confidence, huh?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing at all."

Sigbjorn grinned and motioned to the burger place.

"I was gonna go and see if I can win the all-you-can-eat contest over there. Care to join me?"

"That much cheese can't be good for your health," she said matter-of-factly.

"You sound like Steele! Just come on, will ya?!" Sigbjorn shouted, "Or is the heiress' delicate palate disgusted by the thought of real flavour?!"

"You wouldn't know flavour if I beat you across your head with a stick," answered Weiss exasperatedly. She turned to face him, only to be greeted by nothingness and the realization that he had already started without her.

"The insolent-- ugh!" Weiss huffed frustratedly before creating a glyph to catch up to him.

Ruby was strolling around the entire place, humming to herself again. So far, she hadn't found any good stalls, unlike the others. She observed them having a good time, especially Yang and Ross, mainly because they were with someone. Ruby was fine with being alone, but for once, she felt like she wouldn't mind some company.

She looked all around to see if she could find a place that was selling something sweet.

"Hey, do you know where the others went?" Diamond said from behind her. "I was looking around this place on my own and the rest of them were gone."

"I don't know," sighed Ruby, "I lost track of them when I was looking for... there!" squealed Ruby in delight, pointing to an ice cream stall.

"Great! Let's get some!"

He and Ruby walked over to the ice cream stall. Diamond got a simple vanilla ice cream, while Ruby chose her toppings carefully.

"Chocolate chips... sprinkles... jelly..."

Diamond chuckled at this. Ruby looked at him, pouting. Diamond smiled, gestured for her to carry on, then looked around. The carnival was boisterous and active, in typical Vale fashion. There were plenty of games to go around, but he didn't feel like it at the moment. Taking a slow stroll through the orange sodium lighting sounded nice, though. And a visit to the bookshop once he'd seen everything, that wasn't too crowded either, unlike the game stalls and fashion shops advertising wares from other Kingdoms.

He caught Ruby digging into her ice cream from the corner of his eye. She flashed a smile at him as he turned to look at her.

"This is really good! Wanna give it a try?" she said, holding her container out for him. He smiled and shook his head, "Thanks, but I'm good."

"Suit yourself," Ruby said, looking over to a weaponsmith's shop. It was mostly selling spare parts.

"Hm, I could use some of those..." she heard Diamond mutter, looking at the same place. "Say, you're a Vale resident, right? Mind helping me figure out if they're ripping me off or not?"

"Oh they most definitely are," she said. "I was wondering if I should get an upgrade for the scope for Crescent Rose but not after seeing those price tags."

"Crescent Rose?"

"Oh! It's my scythe, and it's also a high-velocity, high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby said, turning around to show it to him in its sniper form.

"Cool! It's basically like Eclipse," Diamond said.

"Eclipse?"

"Ross's weapon. It's a hybrid between a sniper rifle, a battle-axe, and a hammer. It's got a Gravity Dust infuser which is specific to his Aura, and the rifle is very high calibre."

"Awesome!" Ruby said, nearly squealing, which made Diamond chuckle.

"What about yours?" she asked.

"Well, mine are twin M1911A1 pistols. I call 'em "Salt" and "Pepper". Normally I use the standard 7-round .45 ACP mags, but they can hold Dust rounds as well. The barrel's threaded so I can add flash and sound suppressors so that no one knows where I am when I'm invisible, and that's pretty much it," he finished.

"Do you, um, have a melee weapon?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Of course I do," Diamond replied while smiling.

"Cool! Can you tell me about it? Oh, can I see it?!" Ruby asked, her silver eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"You know what? Maybe later. Right now, you look like you might start drooling," he laughed, causing her to look down and rub the back of her head in embarrassment. In truth, he didn't have it on him currently. He was working on some upgrades and that had required him to disable most of its features: no point in carrying it.

"Hehe, guess I got a little carried away there," Ruby said.

"No problem," grinned Diamond.

"Wait, that's your Semblance, right? Invisibility?" Ruby said.

Diamond shook his head.

"Not exactly. My Semblance is Electromagnetism."

Ruby stared at him with a confused expression as he realised he hadn't really answered the question.

"I can manipulate light. Photons, basically. I can change how they reflect off of me. Like my left hand right now," he said, holding it out for her to see. His hand turned more and more transparent until Ruby could see straight through it. All that was left was a faint shimmer; nothing you would notice if you weren't looking. The ice cream cup he was holding seemed to be hovering midair.

 _Whoa, cool!_ she thought to herself.

"And I can absorb energy from them," Diamond said, now holding out his right hand, which started to turn dark until it was completely black, "Then I can discharge that energy but I prefer doing so quickly, before too much of my Aura is consumed. Looks like I'm done with my ice cream just in time!"

Diamond tossed his ice cream container to his right hand, then gently flicked it in the direction of the garbage bin, which lay about 10 steps to his right. It whizzed away, clanged off the edge and fell inside. The nearby onlookers almost snapped their necks as they followed the path of the container back to him with wonderment written on their faces. Diamond responded by rubbing his head in embarrassment.

"Whoa, nice aim!" Ruby said.

"Heh, thanks! What about you? You were sneaking up on us earlier, so I'm assuming it's also invisibility?"

"Nope! It's speed! I can move really quickly," Ruby said, demonstrating by darting over to the bin, dropping her container in it and appearing before him again.

"That's fast," Diamond remarked, "What's up with the petals, though?"

"They don't really do much," Ruby said.

"Well, at least they look pretty cool," Diamond smiled.

"Thanks," Ruby smiled back.

"There you are!" Steele said, jogging up to Diamond and Ruby from behind. He walked backwards so that he was facing both of them, "I did a quick circuit of the carnival. Two restaurants are offering a 10% discount for the carnival plus 5 for a Hunter ID. We should save good money off of both of them, but my personal vote goes to the noodle shop. I've had enough of continental cuisine in Atlas, do you agree?"

Diamond tried his best to stifle his laughter. "Don't worry, he's not usually going off being a miser like this," he said to a confused and equally amused Ruby.

"Oh, come on!" Steele said, "This place is noisy and draining, there was nothing better for me to do."

"They seemed pretty excited about the game stalls," Diamond said, gesturing with his head to a card trickster.

"The games are childish and most of them rigged so that no records are broken, and hence no one wins anything. Look at him, classic three-card Monte scam! I seriously wonder how people can't pick up on that, much less put their money on something like this."

"But that's fraud," Ruby responded.

"Water: wet!"

"Should we-- I don't know, do you think we should talk to them?" Diamond said, his eyes fixed on a magician's stall on their path.

Steele shook his head. "The circumstances aren't so bad that I'm going to start busting carnies for fraud."

"I thought you said you were bored," Diamond said.

"Making arrests over legal technicalities isn't my idea of fun either, you should know that by now," Steele said with a wave of his hand. "So. What were you two discussing again?"

A loud scream erupted from the crowd.

And then a roar.

The three stopped in their tracks.

"What the hell was that?" Steele asked.

"The answer to your boredom," Diamond said, pulling out _Salt_ and _Pepper_.

"Oh. Oh, no, not like this," said Steele slowly, loading up _Predator_ with a Dust-infused bolt.

"Grimm," said Ruby, turning around and looking the monsters in the eyes.

Sigbjorn received an alert on his scroll from Diamond. He got Weiss's attention and informed her that there was a possible situation. She quickly dropped her hamburger and contacted her team as Sigbjorn did the same, linking both SRDS' and RWBY's communication channels via his Semblance. He waved a tearful goodbye to his hamburger (whom he had lovingly christened Melinda) and opened the channel to start coordinating.

"How bad?"

"Looks like about half a dozen Ursa, plus a pack of Beowolves and then some strays," Steele's voice came through the speaker, along with the whistle of _Predator_ as it fired bolts, "Not a huge concern to us, but there are civilians in the mix. Any other sightings?"

"Doesn't look like it," Yang said.

"It's probably best to converge at Steele, Diamond and Ruby's location," Weiss said, to which Steele added, "One or two of us should focus on dealing with the deviant Beowolves."

"Protect the civvies and help them get out of there, at least until we show up," Sigbjorn said.

"Great minds think alike," Steele commented before signing off.

"We'll focus on locating the deviants!" Yang said, meaning herself, Blake and Ross.

Sigbjorn closed off the comms and looked at Weiss, "Ready to go? Load up that revolver, there's not going to be much time left."

"But they're on the other side of the carnival!"

"Weiss, we're not going to walk there, we're going to fly, well... glide, but-- not important. Grab on to me as hard as you can and don't let go. I can't catch you if you fall, seeing as we're going to be moving at extremely high speeds," finished Sigbjorn.

Weiss grabbed on to his midsection, and widened her eyes as the ground under her was covered with a hardlight film that became a pillar as it extended skywards pushing them up. Once at a sufficient height, the pillar disintegrated and the momentum from the push carried over, causing them to shoot upwards. Sigbjorn sprouted wings and a propulsion unit attached to the back, allowing him to glide towards the sounds of the battle.

"This is where the fun begins!" he said as the glider brought him closer and closer to the ground. 

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" asked Weiss as their angle of descent seemed more akin to plummeting than landing.

The sounds of panic and fighting got louder and louder as they closed in. They saw Diamond attempting to keep the horde of Grimm at bay as Steele and Ruby attempted to evacuate the people in the premises. Steele had created a large barrier of ice between themselves and the main section of the carnival, which bombarded any Grimm that came too close with icicle spikes. He was focused on keeping the barrier intact and on targeting the Grimm. It kept the majority safe, but Sigbjorn could see that there were still some people trying to make their way behind the barrier. Ruby was focused on helping them since she didn't have her weapon. Diamond was distracting the Grimm using mirages and shadows of himself, invisibly sneaking up to them and opening fire with both pistols at close range at their weak points. It seemed to be working, but Sigbjorn could tell he was tiring out, and the Grimm were beginning to focus on him instead of the copies.

They began their dance of death. Weiss was using her glyphs to move around at high speed and skewer the Grimm while Sigbjorn engaged them with his hardlight throwing knives and spears. Impaling joints and splitting open weak points in the bone armour. Not enough to kill them outright, but enough to set up the task for Weiss's rapier. In doing so he was also serving his secondary and tertiary objectives. Reduce the load on his team, and make sure civilian casualties are kept at a minimum.

"Good timing!" Diamond called out, shooting fire Dust rounds into a Beowolf, then kicking it across its face when it got too close, putting it down.

"Everyone spread out!" Sigbjorn said, not wanting to be boxed in, using his video wings to gain altitude while holding a Beowolf (snarling and clawing at him) and then dive-bombing the ground, letting go of it at the last second.

Diamond turned around to the source of another bloodcurdling roar to see an Ursa directly behind him.

_Come on, Diamond, don't get sloppy now!_

Without wasting time, he ducked and rolled to avoid a swipe from its massive paws, then came up to his knees and unloaded his pistols completely into it's exposed belly. He ran at it, jumped and kicked it in its head, using the skull as a springboard to launch him backwards. The Ursa then fell to the ground.

"What? No cheers for the backflip?" said Diamond to the disintegrating Grimm as he landed on both feet.

He turned right to see Sigbjorn and Weiss massacring the pack of Beowolves. He looked left and saw Ruby getting the last few people to safety and punching in something on her scroll.

 _That's weird,_ he thought, _why wouldn't she be fighting?_

A second later, a metallic object slammed into the ground next to her, a door opening to reveal a red object of some sort. She pulled it out with a huge smile on her face, then the weapon transformed into a large red and black scythe. Near the middle of the handle, Diamond made out a weapon scope. The whole weapon was about five times bigger than his pistols.

"Holy cheese fries, that is one large gun...scythe? Gun-scythe Interesting," Diamond spoke to himself, looking for more opponents as he heard Crescent Rose firing into the pool of Grimm.

Steele teleported more people to safety behind the barrier but knew the real problem was the horde of slowly shrinking Grimm. He'd be freer to engage in combat once the last person was behind the barrier.

Ruby was about to charge into the fray when she heard a wail to her left.

Looking left, she saw a child stuck in wiring and cloth.

_These things were supposed to happen only in movies!_

She ran, placed her scythe aside and started to help the boy get untangled.

"It'll be fine, don't panic," she said reassuringly.

The child seemed to be scared out of his mind but nodded. As soon as the boy was free, his eyes widened and he pointed behind her with a look of blatant fear.

Ruby turned to see a gigantic Major Ursa about to attack both her and the kid when its arm suddenly stopped moving. Diamond became visible, holding the arm at bay, but it appeared as if he was struggling a lot.

"Go!" he managed.

At that point, the Ursa roared and swung its free arm, sending him crashing into a nearby stall.

"Diamond!" Ruby cried out before rushing away with the boy using her Semblance.

"Dammit!" cried Steele, who had just teleported in.

 _Go to sleep,_ Diamond's senses told him, _Just... a little... rest..._

His vision blurred. His head was pounding, and it was becoming very hard for him to stay awake. He felt the iron of blood coat his tongue, and at that moment, every instinct in his body told him to let go and lie down.

_NO! Get up! This fight isn't over yet! You'd rather go to sleep than save them?!_

Diamond decided to listen to the latter voice. He got up, cradling his head and spat out blood.

He stumbled out, wiping blood off his nose. He noticed Steele looking at him and flashed a smile, though Steele knew he was hurt.

"I'll be fine! Nail the idiot!" Diamond said, trying to stand.

Steele picked up his marker knife and ran at the Ursa with deadly intent in his eyes.

But Sigbjorn got to it first. A little different from their normal encounters, sure, but he knew basic Grimm anatomy well enough to disable a single Ursa with backup, Major or otherwise. He materialised a hardlight hook with a chain attached and threw it past the Ursa's leg.

"How'd you miss that?!" shouted Yang from behind him.

"He didn't," said Blake, who had experience with similar weaponry and knew what Sigbjorn was trying to accomplish.

He moved to the left while pulling on the chain, causing the hook to dig into the joint that lay behind the Ursa's knee. A structural weakness that he had learnt to exploit in humans, but worked just fine here. This ripped into the tendons, rendering the leg unusable, and caused the Ursa to stumble.

"Ross, NOW!" Steele said.

The ground then restrained the weakened leg and an arch made of ice caused the Ursa to trip over its other leg. It crashed onto the ground, now lying on its stomach.

"Open wide!" Diamond shouted from a distance, tossing a red-hot iron rod he found nearby and heated. The projectile found its mark in the neck of the Ursa. The force and heat caused it to roar in pain and anger.

Sigbjorn re-materialised the hook with the point facing upwards and threw it at the Ursa's now-gaping maw. He flicked his wrist up, and the resulting wave travelled down the chain, and caused the hook point to move up, and bury itself into the brain of the Ursa. Another structural weakness. Another exploit.

Weiss killed off the last of them and all of them were panting while standing.

"Ow, that hurt," Diamond said.

They all made their way to him.

"Are you okay? That looked pretty bad!" Ruby said, worried.

"It's fine, it's fine," Diamond said, "We saved the kid. That's what matters."

Sigbjorn breathed a sigh of relief as Ross gave Diamond a reassuring pat on the shoulder. They were all fine.

"Good work. All of you."

After they were done they went back to the carnival to receive thanks from the proprietor. Much to the detriment of Steele's reconnaissance (but of delight to everyone) the rest of the carnival would be free for them and the other citizens. Those that chose to stay. A sizable (and perhaps wiser) crowd had left for home after this incident. 

Rather unfortunate: they missed one of the fiercest eating competitions in the history of Remnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! We'd appreciate any feedback you have for us!
> 
> The Carnival section got quite large upon subsequent editing, so I decided to break it down into a more digestible size... a pun intended, considering the next chapter ;)
> 
> That being said, see you in the next chapter!


	11. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Teams wind down after the incident at the Carnival.

"MY MELINDA AWAITS!" shouted a famished Sigbjorn as he raced off to the food stall. "FEAR NOT MY BRIOCHE BUN BORGAR BEAUTY, I HAVE NOT ABANDONED YOU!"

And right on his trail was Weiss, who realised that if he ate that burger and the carnival closed, which seemed imminent, he would win, and she would never hear the end of it.

As he reached the stall and took his seat, he saw Weiss use her glyph to catch up with him. She sat back down and picked up her burger.

"You did pretty well back there," Sigbjorn said, his mouth full of bacon strips and cheese.

"Ugh, close your mouth when you're eating, you dunce."

He swallowed and flashed a grin as he wiped his mouth.

"And somehow you even find compliments annoying," Sigbjorn said with a chuckle. Weiss responded with a glare.

"In all seriousness, where'd you learn to fight like that? Your moves seemed very...classical."

"Well, that's because they are. Every Schnee goes through tutoring on how to use their semblance. There are specific manuals that have been passed down, and we all use them to specialise our semblances."

"Huh, that's interesting. If you don't mind me asking, what's your speciality?"

"I'm trying to focus on the summoner aspect of my semblance. I can use it to summon Grimm that I have defeated to help my teammates fight."

"Woah. Talk about coincidences." Sigbjorn said as he gulped down a large pitcher of iced tea.

"What do you mean? And if you keep eating at that rate, you'll choke on something."

"Well, my semblance is videokinesis. I can use hardlight to create whatever I need. Weapons, armour, monsters. They disappear if I don't concentrate though. I mainly use it to boost my speed. A jet booster on my back and some aerodynamic fins allow me to zoom around. That rush I get when I zip around and strike, well, that keeps me going."

"Well, that is interesting. How odd. Your ability seems to be a pale imitation of the glorious Schnee semblance."

Sigbjorn nearly coughed up the food in his mouth from laughter.

"We're worlds apart princess. I learnt my fighting style through actual combat. Not some dusty old tome."

"How dare you!"

"I'm kidding! Don't get mad!"

"Hmmph. Well, we did come here to compete, so enough talk. May the best eater win!"

"Oh, you're on!'

What followed was the reason the prices of cheese and meat went up by 20% in the surrounding areas. While Sigbjorn launched a relentless attack on the platters of food in front of him, Weiss cut up all the food into extremely small portions and began wolfing them down, one morsel at a time. It was neck to neck. While Sigbjorn's speed was working to his advantage, Weiss's methods were more energy efficient.

In the end, they both gave up, their bellies full to the brim. It was truly equal. At least, until Sigbjorn reached over to Weiss's plate, grabbed her last piece of food, and ate it. His plate still had half a burger, and he knew that she wouldn't be able to eat that.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Weiss said. She was so tired due to both the exertion of the fight, and the arduous competition. This lack of energy made it difficult to keep up her facade, and so her face was bearing a smile that let her true feelings show,

"Is that a smile I see? Ha! I'll probably throw up when I get back to my dorms, but by Oum, it'll be worth it. Good effort by the way. The way you divided your food up? A pro would be impressed."

"Thanks. You were no slouch either," she responded. Again, her lack of energy made her ignore the remark about her smile.

'Well, I'm done! I'm heading back. What about you?" Sigbjorn asked

"Same. Mind if I hitch a ride?"

"If you don't mind being my accomplice for the shortest sound barrier break in Beacon history," Sigbjorn said as he materialised a LightCycle to take them both back.

"I doubt you'd be able to hit 60 on a good day but oh well, as you wish."

"Hop on then."

She climbed on to the bike, its length extending to accommodate her comfortably. She sat back to back with Sigbjorn, her eyes focused on the city as he drove slowly and smoothly back to Beacon.

"I thought you said you were going to break the sound barrier?"

"Well, I was going to, but not only would I shatter all these windows and have to give up my allowance to pay for them, but you'd also fall off and bump your head. There's no point in showing off then, is it?"

"Scaredy-cat."

"Do you want a concussion? Because at this angle all I need to do is speed up and you'd end up bonking your head on the pavement."

"Hehe, bonking," Weiss said, giggling slightly.

"Wow, I made you laugh. Either Hell has frozen over, or I'm actually half-decent at conversing with you."

"And you'd know which is which, wouldn't you?"

"Eh... I'd have to flip a coin," Sigbjorn said with a smug grin.

**(Meanwhile in downtown Vale)**

As Diamond regained his composure after the fight and bought himself a well-earned soft drink, he noticed a small solitary figure milling about near where they had fought the Major Ursa. The 8-or-so-year-old child whom they had saved seemed to be looking around for his parents. He moved in one direction, looking everywhere despite no one being in the vicinity, then retreated to a pole he'd chosen as a safe spot. This dance repeated in another direction, and the boy's movements became more frantic and his face more panicked by the second.

 _Poor thing,_ Diamond thought, sighing. He turned to see Ruby had seen the same sight.

"You coming?" he asked, to which Ruby nodded.

"Hi, there!" Diamond said with a friendly smile and a wave. The child stopped and looked at them with a scared expression, taking a few steps back.

"It's okay," Ruby said. The child's eyes widened in recognition once he saw her.

"Are both of you the- the strangers from before?"

"Ah, you remember us?" Diamond asked. The child stared at them before nodding.

"Great! Then you know we're here to help," Diamond said, crouching down and extending his hand. "My name's Diamond, and this is my friend Ruby. What's your name?"

The boy blinked, before saying, "Cole. It's Cole." He paused before realising Diamond's hand was still outstretched and shaking it. Diamond gathered from Cole's behaviour that he was likely shaken after the Grimm crisis, pressured further by the prospect of being lost.

"Nice to meet you, Cole. It seems to me that you need some help. Am I right?"

Cole gave a slow nod. "I can't find my parents."

"I see. Is it okay if we help you find them?"

Cole nodded again.

"Okay. Where do you think they might be?"

"I... I'm not sure. They must be looking for me, but they didn't know I wandered here."

Diamond realised there was no set place for Cole's parents to go to if they didn't know their child had come here. It was best to guide them here somehow. Maybe using his semblance? No, he felt fatigued and also didn't want to scare the kid further. He looked at the things around him and began thinking of a way to use the PA systems that were still gawking wares when Ruby spoke up.

"Okay, that's fine. Do you know your parents' Scroll number?" Ruby asked.

Cole nodded hesitantly. "But I don't have a Scoll."

Diamond chuckled, both at the kid's mispronunciation and the fact that he had overlooked an easy solution.

"Don't worry," Ruby said, "Got one right here. Now, do you mind telling me their number?"

In a few seconds, Cole was speaking with his mother. The worry on his face evaporated soon after to be replaced by a genuine, albeit small smile. He returned Ruby her Scroll so she could guide them to where they were waiting.

Diamond turned to Cole, "Just a few more minutes, alright?"

Cole looked at Diamond, nodding, then returned his attention to the spot he was gazing at, barely breaking out of his daze. Diamond reasoned that he was still affected. To face such a daunting experience at an age like this, he knew it couldn't be easy. It wasn't easy.

He sat down next to Cole, who was clutching something in his left hand.

"What's that you got there?" Diamond asked. Cole was jolted back, perhaps from the sudden break in silence, or because Diamond had reminded him of the aeroplane figure he was holding. He brought it a little closer to himself, almost a little protective of it.

Diamond laughed softly, "Don't worry. I'm not going to try and take it from you. It's a nice model. Pretty accurate, too."

Cole glanced at him with curiosity. "You know this one?"

Diamond smiled. "Yep. My mother used to design these things. Seen the real deal. I was super into planes too, which is why I'm wondering where you got one of those from."

Cole looked at it before smiling a bit. "I won it at that place. The one over there." He pointed at one of the many now-empty games stalls in sight.

"Wait, the shooting stall? For real?" Diamond asked, wide-eyed. "Wow. You've got skills. That looked hard to me."

Cole frowned in disbelief. "But- but you took out all those Grimms!"

"Maybe so, but I was nowhere close to your skill level at that age." Diamond said, bowing his head. "Nice work."

"Thanks," Cole said, smiling and lowering his head a little bit. Diamond noticed the smile slowly fade away.

"... didn't you get scared then?" Cole asked, slowly turning towards him.

Diamond inhaled and exhaled deeply, looking down at the ground and choosing his words carefully. He returned his attention to Cole.

"Honestly? I did. And I know everyone else who was here was scared, too," Diamond said slowly, and noticed Cole frowning, so he continued, "But I think that's not a bad thing. There's a reason we feel fear. It keeps us alive by reminding us the world can be dangerous sometimes."

Cole lowered his gaze. "You fought them, though. I-I just wanted to run away."

"I don't blame you, Cole. That's the best thing you could've done. If I wasn't a Hunter, if I didn't know how to handle this, I would've run too," Diamond said, looking down at the dewy grass below momentarily.

"But I did. So the best thing _I_ could do was help. For my friends, and for the safety of everyone here. Not everyone has to do that because not everyone can. People just have to do their best."

He noticed Cole still looking down, but with a neutral expression.

"Have you ever played anything outdoors?"

Cole nodded. "Yeah. Baseball, I pl-play a lot with my friends."

"You've probably fallen down a few times, right?'

Cole nodded wordlessly.

"Well, the first few times, your skin probably got really red and weird, maybe it tore and it must've hurt a lot. But after those few times, it didn't hurt as much, and it didn't leave as big of a mark, am I right?"

Cole thought about it for a bit, then and said, "Yeah. You're right."

Diamond smiled. "That's 'cause you got used to it, and maybe learned how to lessen the damage a little bit. And incidents like this? They're like that in some ways."

Cole stared at him, wide-eyed. "R-really?"

"Yep. You can get stronger from them as long as you learn something. I'm not saying you should keep looking for trouble, but since this happened to you and you made it, well, it's made you stronger. You dared to warn my friend that something was approaching her. If I was in your place, I would've just kept quiet. You know, like a mouse."

It wasn't the best joke Diamond could come up with at the moment, but he was satisfied that it elicited a giggle from Cole.

"But yeah. Now that you know how dangerous it can be, you could decide to learn what to do in case stuff like this happens again. If there's a next time, maybe you're the one who could be saving a life by making sure you and other people take the necessary steps," he explained. Cole nodded, but it wasn't absent-minded anymore, and he was smiling. "And hey, you could always brag about it. Just be careful not to overdo it."

"Thanks," Cole said.

"Just turn the corner from the card game stall..." Ruby said, walking close to them, gazing expectantly down the path. A man and a woman appeared, followed by a teenage girl.

"I think I see you, turn right!"

Cole followed Ruby's gaze to see his family walking towards him. An ecstatic smile bloomed on his face as he ran towards them, accepted in their collective embrace. Ruby smiled; it was nice to see their reunion. From the sister's well-minded teasing to the father's joyful reaction, to the mother's smothering love and attention, glad to see her child was okay.

That last bit stung a little, but Ruby brushed it off. She felt delighted to witness this; even more so to be a part of it.

"Mom, these are my friends!" Cole said, startling both Diamond and Ruby as they realised they were suddenly the centre of attention. "They saved me from Grimms and waited with me until you came here!"

"I cannot think of a way to thank you both enough," the father said.

"Oh, no need! We were just doing our job!" Ruby responded.

"Your words are enough," Diamond continued. "You raised a brave kid."

After they exchanged names, Diamond's Scroll beeped, a message from Ross asking about dinner.

"Sorry for being impolite, but our friends are waiting for us."

"Oh, no worries. And once again, thank you very much."

"Goodbye, Cole! Have fun with the rest of the Carnival!" Ruby said as the two of them began walking to Ross and Yang's location.

After a few moments of silence, Ruby spoke up, "Nice speech, by the way."

Diamond gave her a puzzled look before realising what she was referring to. "Ah. I, uh, I realise it might've sounded bad. I did say everyone got scared after all. Sorry for being... I dunno, presumptuous."

"What? No, I mean, it wasn't wrong," Ruby said. "I actually thought it was nice of you to say that."

"Really? Well, thanks," Diamond said. "I noticed he was shaken after whatever happened."

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at the ground ahead of his feet, "I just hope he gets better."

"I do too," Ruby said, "And I think he will. He seemed pretty happy afterwards, you know?"

Diamond thought about it before sighing and smiling. "Yeah. It felt nice to help out."

"Same here," Ruby said as they shared a smile.

"So, uh, mind sharing some insider Beacon experiences as we're walking there?" Diamond said. "Should keep my mind off the hunger."

Ruby laughed. "Sure!"

Ruby got busy entertaining Diamond by narrating her own and her team's adventures around Vale.

"So you're telling me you stopped a Dust shipment heist?"

"Yep!"

"And before that, you took down a giant Nevermore?"

"Yep!"

"Not gonna lie, that is seriously impressive. You girls look like you're at the top of your game when it comes to combat too."

"Oh! Thanks!" Ruby said, smiling. "Your team is pretty neat, too."

"Thanks," Diamond said, then chuckled. "We like to think so."

"I was wondering if you could tell me more about yourselves," Ruby said a little hesitantly at first. "You all seem really interesting and I would like to make friends with you."

"Oh!" Diamond said, a little surprised. He then smiled. "Yeah, sure. You seem nice and, well, I guess I could use more friends."

Diamond started laughing quietly, then stopped as he noticed Ruby wasn't.

"That-- you were supposed to laugh!"

"Oh, I didn't realise that was a joke."

"What? Of course that was a joke," Diamond said. He slumped his shoulders and head. "Great. Now I _really_ must've come across as lonely. Fantastic!"

Ruby laughed at this, amused. "Sorry!"

"It's all good, I'm just messing around," Diamond smiled back at her. "Well, Sigbjorn is a crazy guy. He's friendly and considerate when he needs to be. But when shit hits the fan he never fails to deliver. He can never take it if any of us get hurt."

"Any of us?" asked Ruby.

"His teammates or friends, once he accepts you into his circle, he will never give up on you. Ever. If he gets hurt he'll shrug it off, but if any of us gets so much as a scratch he'll destroy the thing that scratched us. That's the reason he whooped Cardin's butt so hard. It was because he messed with Weiss and you guys. He has stages of rage. 9 in fact. I call them the 9 circles of hell. A good way to tell if he's pissed is to ask him to summon wings. If they're red or scaly, start running away."

Diamond paused, took a sip of his soft drink, then continued.

"Steele, my partner, is mostly observant, calm and focused. He likes playing chess, reading, well, pretty much everything, and doing chemical experiments. He's smart and observant. He prefers to plan and coordinate attacks from the back. Strategy and tactics are his elements... apart from the ice of course," Diamond smiled, "His Semblance is Ice manipulation, which allows him to make ice and even control Ice dust."

"So that's how he can teleport around and make that ice!" Ruby realised.

"Well, it's not all sunshine. He's somewhat stubborn. Blunt, too: as you noticed on the way here. He is prone to fits of sarcasm, thanks, of course to Yours Truly... but despite his absolute lack of tact," Diamond shook his head, "he comes from a place of honesty. He's an excellent partner, whether it's combat or talking about stuff.

"Ross is... well, Ross. He would lay his life on the line for our team without a second thought. He's a genuinely nice person, and he likes adventure. His semblance is Geokinesis, which is earth manipulation. And for some reason, he attracts more ladies than all of us combined."

Diamond rubbed his neck and said, "Coming to me, well, I guess I'm a decent pilot."

"Oh, come on! You're being modest!" Ruby said, not believing for one second that that was all.

"Ahh, fine, fine. As you've probably figured out, I'm the youngest member of the team. I've already told you about my Semblance. I like maintaining and modifying all our gear, and generally ensuring that we're working together and that everyone's doing okay."

"Well, that's cool in my opinion! You guys are awesome!" Ruby said.

Diamond smiled at the compliment, unaware that his cheeks had turned a bit red.

"Yeah, well, it's been a long journey for all of us. We have our share of quirks and squabbles, but I trust them with my life and vice versa. Quite honestly, we're like brothers," Diamond replied, throwing his can into a nearby bin.

"Hey, Ruby!" a voice called out. Diamond and Ruby looked around to find Yang, Blake and Ross slowly walking towards them. Diamond noticed this and shot a questioning glance at Ross. Ross shrugged, obviously not understanding Diamond.

"So, what did you guys do?" asked Blake.

"Nothing much. We just walked around and talked a bit and had some things to eat," replied Ruby.

"Well, ours was so much more awesome! We played some games, then went on the Ferris wheel!" Ross said, followed shortly after by a loud rumbling sound from his midsection.

"Uhm... so maybe all that activity kinda made me hungry," Ross said as his friends chuckled. "But seriously, can we go find a place to eat, like _now_?"

"As soon as we find everyone else, I guess," Diamond responded.

"Sigbjorn and Weiss left early," Ross said, getting impatient.

"Hold up, that still leaves Steele," Yang said.

Diamond's Scroll began ringing. 

"Ah, speak of the devil," he said before answering. "Hey, what's--"

"Edge of the carnival. Get here. _Now_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, any feedback you have would be very helpful for us, so please consider voting on this chapter or leaving a comment.
> 
> That being said, see you in the next one!


	12. Incendiary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the others settle down for dinner, Steele makes an alarming discovery.

**(A short distance away)**

Steele Snow shone his flashlight into the park at the edge of the carnival. The beam darted between the woods and grass as Steele scoured the location for any sign of human presence. Finding nothing, Steele shook his head dismissively as he turned the light off and made his way back to the police barricade.

Two patrol cars were parked on the side of the road adjacent to the sidewalk which Steele was walking on. Their lights were still glaring at him, alternating between red and blue and sometimes blinking simultaneously. The display assaulted his eyes. He disliked the tranquil darkness of the night to be disturbed so violently. It _is_ their function, Steele reasoned, but if the culprit was still here, the sirens and lights would have alerted them, prompting them to make a stealthy exit. Then again, there was no way to be sure that they hadn't left as soon as the job was done.

The inspector on the scene turned to face Steele as soon as his tread transitioned from the sturdy sidewalk to the crunchy grass and dirt.

"Nothing," Steele said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure?" the inspector asked. Steele rolled his eyes. The officer was treating him like a child. Even though he was 17 and therefore not an adult, Steele swore that he would not have any more of it. Besides, he was more responsible and detail-oriented than most people could ever hope to be.

"Yes, I was quite thorough."

Steele turned towards the dead body. The man's partner was kneeling over and observing it.

"What of the body?" he asked.

"Well, what's to tell?" the policeman asked, chuckling to himself a little bit, "We'll take it from here, kid. Just relax."

His words had the opposite effect. Steele had had enough.

"Excuse me?" he asked, though there was a dark undertone to his voice.

"Uh..." said the officer a bit nervously upon noticing Steele's change in demeanour. His golden eyes staring directly at him and the serious expression on his face. In reality, Steele was staring at the centre of the man's forehead. It was an intimidation tactic. _Working splendidly_ , he noted.

The officer stumbled on, "Just leave it in the hands of the department. We'll look into it. Um, you should go on home, kid."

"Two Beacon teams are present here, one of them is my own. As you might be aware, the Carnival was under attack from Grimm about two hours ago, which _we_ helped fend off. This could be a threat to the Academy, so unless you wish your chief to have a chat with Headmaster Ozpin and explain to him why you were excluding the teams on-site from the investigation, I suggest you help us out."

"W-wait, a Huntsman?" the officer's partner remarked in surprise, "Well...you could've just said so!"

"Matt, what the hell?" the officer who was talking to Steele remarked.

"It's part of standard operating procedure, Rusty," Matt remarked with an air of finesse, then turned to Steele, "I just need your ID." The officer cleared her throat, closed her eyes and began narrating in a monotonous tone of voice, "As long as a Huntsman was on scene at the time of an act under investigation by local authorities, they are allowed to investigate with said authorities until they are sure that there is no threat which is supposed to be handled by them."

"The hell they are!" Rusty exclaimed.

"I will have you reported for disobedience of legal procedure... and quite possibly obstruction of justice if you don't cooperate," Steele said, arms folded with a devilish smirk. He knew he had won, and he wanted Rusty to know it.

Rusty shook his head wearily, " Fine... you can have a look until forensics arrives," he handed Steele a pair of gloves. "And you," Rusty glared at Matt, "You and I have some serious talking to do," he said before walking back to the car. Matt gulped, "He isn't exactly a friendly one, is he now?" she chuckled. Steele responded with absolute silence.

"I've read that piece in the legal code, I'm just surprised you remember it," Steele said at last while observing Matt.

"Most experienced officers don't pay attention--"

_Properly ironed uniform. Cap, trousers, name tag and badge are stainless. She seems right-handed since her watch is on the left hand and her scroll is sticking out of the right pocket, yet her weapon holster is on the left side of her belt._

_New on the job. She must've memorized the updated rules recently,_ Steele realised.

"Oh, I'm new on the job... but I've read all the rules! Even the new ones..." Matt said at the same time Steele realized it. She laughed out of nervousness once again.

"Nevermind, Officer Matt. Here you go," Steele gave her his Huntsman Identification Card and waited for the inspector to run it through. He noticed Ross, Diamond, Ruby, Blake and Yang arrive on the scene.

"It checks out," the officer replied, handing the card back to Steele.

"Thank you, officer," said Steele.

"Are they with you?" the officer pointed at the party.

"Yes."

"Okay, have a look," Matt said, throwing Steele a pair of white rubber gloves, "I need to update the department now that you're involved."

Steele put on the gloves as he made his way back to the group.

"A wonderful chat regarding our eligibility to investigate," he commented upon a questioning glance from Diamond. Diamond nodded with a slight smirk since his partner loathed small-talk.

"That right there is the reason I called," Steele remarked, activating his flashlight and shining it down toward the ground. There lay a man, about 30 years of age. His eyes were wide open, pupils dilated completely. His face was that of absolute terror. There was a dark red spot in the middle of his forehead. Drops of red had already begun their journey of rolling down from it towards the grass. The left palm of the man lay loose and open, and in it lay a pen, its nib pointing downwards. All five of the man's fingers were curled around it. Further down, there was a patch of red on the man's stomach. His white shirt and parts of his khaki coat were soaked in blood.

Ruby covered her mouth and nose due to the stench emanating from it, wincing in disgust. She took deep breaths to compose herself. A good leader had to set an example for her team. Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder and didn't need to turn to know it was Yang. She looked at her elder sister gratefully, then at Blake, who had narrowed eyes and her fists clenched, clearly agitated. Diamond also had his eyes narrowed, but was less tense and sadder, as if he had seen similar things before. Ross shook his head in dismay.

"When did you find him?" Diamond asked.

"I was looking for a place where the Grimm could have made their entrance. That's when I spotted this," Steele remarked, holding up a scroll, "I got curious and started looking. Then I spotted him."

"He's been dead two hours," Steele turned around and noticed that it was Rusty who said it. He smirked. Amateur. He went over to the corpse and began his examination.

"I'm getting bad vibes from this," said Diamond, "I'll call Sigbjorn. He'll at least want to know."

"You do that," Ross nodded before turning to Ruby, Blake and Yang.

"First time seeing a dead body?" Ross asked.

"Nice conversation starter, buddy," Diamond said without looking up from his scroll.

"Yeah, real subtle there," Yang added.

"Right... my bad. But have you guys done this kinda thing before?"

"Not really," Ruby said, "We've only done training assignments so far."

"Right."

Diamond's scroll speakers crackled to life as Sigbjorn's voice came through, _"What is it? I was just about to go to sleep."_

"Something happened at the Carnival," Diamond explained, "I don't know how long it's been, but..."

Diamond turned the camera towards the corpse.

_"...okay, you have my full attention. What the hell happened?!"_

"Steele's working on that," Diamond replied.

And indeed, Steele was working on it with surgical efficiency. He glanced at the man's watch. His eyes and forehead, his ears, the bullet hole and the wound on the man's stomach. Nothing went unnoticed, not the tie, not the coat, not the shoes, not the colour of the blood, and certainly not the wallet and scroll in the man's trouser pockets.

"Hey, you find anything?"

Steele silenced Yang with a show of the back of his right hand, not averting his gaze from the corpse. Diamond replied with an apologetic smile when Yang looked at him.

Steele rose and turned around. His eyes met Yang's, "Oh, I found lots of things," he remarked with a serious tone to his voice, "Victim was a man in his late 30s as suggested by the wrinkles near the eyes and on the forehead. He wears his watch on the right hand, but has his wallet and scroll in the right trouser pocket, he's ambidextrous.

"Blood tells me he's been dead for nearly two hours like Officer Rusty pointed out. The wound in his abdomen is a stab wound from a sharp object. Blood loss is excessive for a simple entry-exit wound, so I guess that the object, likely a knife of some sort, was turned while still inside to cause more pain. But the killing wound is in the man's forehead.

"Diameter of the wound and lack of exit wound tells me it was a small-calibre bullet, still stuck in the man's skull. No charring or other markers, so I suspect it was a non-Dust round. Powder burns present, but in small quantities around the wound. That tells me it was a contact shot. The man tried to defend himself with his pen, it has bloodstains near the nib, he stabbed his attacker with it. Again, left hand, ambidextrous."

"Wait, how do you know that the pen isn't the murder weapon?" Yang asked.

"It's inconsistent with any of the wounds that the man has. The abdomen wound is too wide for the pen. The killer didn't kill this man for money, the wallet's still in place and has quite a sum in it. This was supposed to be a punishment, a lethal one. My best guess: He crossed someone, and the price was execution."

Steele fished out a chrome pocket watch from his trench coat, "It's 3 minutes to 9." He bent down to examine the man's watch, "Shows two times. 9 p.m. is Vale, but the second time is 11 p.m."

"That's Atlas time," said Ross, as Steele cycled through the digital displays on the pocket watch to arrive at the same conclusion.

"Indeed. So we know that he not only came to Vale recently, but he comes here often," Steele knelt again to inspect it, "The watch, by the way, looks very fancy like the rest of his outfit. His shoes are real leather. Oh, and his wallet? 10,000 Lien, " Steele said, pulling the wallet out of the man's pocket.

Sigbjorn whistled.

"So... a man from Atlas comes down to Vale. He's considerably rich, but in a hurry, he makes his way to this carnival. The edge of the carnival. Why?"

"To meet someone?" Ruby questioned.

Steele nodded, " Any guesses as to his profession?"

Everyone was silent.

"Travels frequently at least between Atlas and Vale, wealthy, lapel pin," Steele said, holding the object up for everyone up to see.

Sigbjorn understood the implications: _"Shit."_

Steele pulled out an identity card from the man's wallet, "He was a diplomat."

"Dammit," Diamond said.

"That doesn't make any sense! Why exactly would a diplomat cross someone?" Blake asked, "And if so, who?!"

"That... I'm not entirely sure about that. Maybe he crossed his government?" Steele thought out loud.

 _"And Atlas responds by using Grimm as a distraction and sending some hitman to do the job for them? They could just as easily apprehend him in front of everyone,"_ Sigbjorn reasoned.

"Hmm... true," Steele admitted, "I don't have all the answers... but this could potentially be damaging."

We should leave for now," Steele said as another police car, a van this time, pulled up alongside the pavement. Probably forensics.

They started walking to the vehicles Sigbjorn had left for them.

"We're just going to let this slide?" Ross questioned.

"No..." Steele interrupted himself, "Well, at least for now. I hate to say this, but there's not much more I can do here."

Ross nodded in understanding, "Let's catch a Bullhead then. Try to sleep a wink."

"Yeah, good luck with _that_ ," Yang responded.

"Guess we should keep an eye on the news tomorrow, huh?" Diamond said, "This could turn _real_ political, _real_ fast."

"We'll wait and see..." Steele said, and with that, they reached the bikes. A short ride later, they were already on the Bullhead back to Vale.

Steele kept quiet throughout. This seemed thoroughly planned out. Not grunt work. They were dealing with professionals. There were some aspects of the murder which stubbornly tugged at his brain. Or vice versa. There were questions he didn't know the answer to, and he detested the fact while simultaneously acknowledging to himself that he didn't have sufficient information to draw any conclusions. _Why the carnival? What did the diplomat do? Did Atlas or Vale intervene somehow?_

However, the most important of all was: _Who is behind this?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, and thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please consider giving it a vote. As always, we're open to feedback so please share any comments/suggestions you have; we'll be sure to respond.
> 
> Coming to this chapter, things are becoming more serious, eh? You might be wondering how grim (pun most definitely intended) things are going to get from here on out. The only thing I'll say is to keep reading.
> 
> With all that said, see you in the next chapter. 


	13. Knives, Guns and Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diamond makes repairs and modifications to his team's gear, considering their fighting styles, strengths and weaknesses.

**_ Is _ ** **_ land, 1087 kilometres off Vale's shores, 10:56:12 hours _ **

No one could have ever guessed how Silver Cerulean could sit so idly in a room so dark. Even with the wall-mounted screen on his cabin, the light wasn't enough to illuminate the entire room, so only his silhouette was visible. One razor-sharp ear, trimmed to perfection, rested on top of his crew-cut hair; a sight granted only on the rare occasion that he wasn't wearing his bandanna. He was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, obviously in meditation, and no one could ever guess what he was thinking about.

Two White Fang soldiers marched into the room. Silver's ear barely made a sound as it swivelled like a turret, locating instantly the source of the noise. Silver let out a long-held breath and gave a nod, gesturing for the men to make their report.

"Sir, we're nearly done with the loading procedure," said one of them, saluting as soon as he was acknowledged, alongside his comrade.

"I've spoken to the captain," said the other, "He says we'll be ready to leave as soon as the... cargo and crew... are on board, which should take approximately half an hour more."

Silver let a growl surface. This was taking too long, and he had no idea how long he had before the... "loose end" finally managed to let the information slip.

"Is that how incompetent your men are?" Silver asked calmly.

Both soldiers just looked at him, dumbstruck. They had come in expecting praise for their efforts.

"I asked a simple question. Is that how incompetent your men are?" Silver repeated, this time with a slight tone of irritation in his voice.

One of the soldiers tried to respond, but failed miserably due to his lack of confidence, "Uh... I... No?"

"Then tell them to get it done in 15 minutes... and not a second more. I don't want to waste any more time," Silver said, barely turning his head to face the two. "After all, why delay good things?" he added, slowly smiling to himself on that last part.

"Y-yes, sir. It'll be done. We'll make sure of it," stammered the other White Fang soldier, and both of them saluted and turned to leave.

"Stop!" Silver commanded, now turning to face them.

The soldiers stopped in their tracks and whirled around slowly, drops of nervousness and apprehension making their way down to their chins.

"Don't stutter in front of me. You have a tongue, don't you? Use it properly... or I will see to it that you don't use it at all," Silver said. The threat was clear, and the men knew that if they didn't act properly now, they wouldn't stand a chance.

"Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" One replied, though his mind was filled with fear.

"It won't happen again, sir!" Two said, with just as much adrenaline pumping through his body as One.

Silver slowly nodded, and the two made a hasty exit.

He turned to the screen, which was playing a videotape recorded by Silver's informant at Beacon Academy and Vale.

_... the incident at the carnival in downtown Vale last night. A huge horde of Grimm started attacking the humans and Faunus at the carnival but was stopped by a group of Huntresses and Huntsmen, presumably from Beacon._

There was some distortion in the video and audio, but then the tape continued;

_One of the teams has been identified as Team RWBY, but the Huntsmen have not been identified as of yet. They saved human lives yesterday, including this child's, who I had the opportunity of asking a few questions._

Now, a child started speaking.

_I couldn't move because I was trapped in the rubble of a stall... one of them came running to me and started helping me by clearing the rubble. I turned to him to see an Ursa trying to attack us and I thought we were goners, but something grabbed its arm, but he was thrown into a stall by the Grimm. The one helping me out grabbed me and the next thing I know, I got away. I... thank you so much for helping me, wherever you guys are!_

Silver let out an insane smile.

"I hope we meet again, Stardust. I have a "debt" to repay."

* * *

**_ Meanwhile, at Beacon Academy _ ** ** **

On that pleasant Sunday morning, Diamond marched through the hallways of Beacon Academy. In his arms, he carried a pile of mechanical and electronic components. It was that time of the week again: Maintenance Day. For Hunters, acquainting themselves with the tools of the trade was an important (and fun) aspect of the job. Their weapons gave them their identity, their gear gave them a strategy. It allowed them to craft their unique style of combat, to figure out whatever best suited their needs, and to ease the burden of reliance on their Semblance. Many a Hunter had used theirs too often and found themselves short on Aura, hence vulnerable. Team SRDS learned early on how important it was to take care of their gear. One speck of dirt in any component could dictate life or death in a battle. This was especially true of Grimm encounters, where unarmed combat was seldom a viable strategic option.

Diamond didn't like menial, routine tasks; he tended to get bored with them because of the attention to detail they required. But Maintenance Day was something he looked forward to. It allowed him to use his knowledge of science and Dust chemistry; nowhere near Steele's level, but it was solid and more than enough to perform minor modifications or repairs on his own (Steele would accompany him for more complex projects). It also gave him a chance to make long-term, productive contributions to the team by making any modifications they required. It made him feel great because he knew he was helpful to his friends outside the battlefield and also an integral member of the team.

Most of all, it allowed him time to ponder and reflect. To contemplate and understand his thoughts and feelings as he worked on the gear while still maintaining an ample degree of precision with his craft. He liked spending time with his friends and loved ones and cracking the occasional joke to make the crowd laugh, but he enjoyed spending time by himself equally, if not more. Some idle moments of reflection could bring tranquillity to his mind on an otherwise bustling day.

Earlier, Diamond had requested permission from Ozpin for access to Beacon's lab since they were not Beacon students. Ozpin had smiled to himself before approving the request, knowing Diamond would be impressed. Beacon's students usually had experience building and tinkering with their own weaponry. To match this standard, Beacon's renowned weapons lab had some of the best equipment Remnant had to offer.

At the door of the lab, Diamond logged in his entry using his Scroll. He noticed it was dark and empty. The indicator on the door shifted from red to green. As Diamond opened the door, the white ceiling lights flickered to life, revealing a modest room with 5 rows of elongated ceramic tables. They had metal stands containing tools, which served as individual workstations. Cabinets containing spare equipment and the more pricey items, such as rare and dangerous types of Dust lined the room. Diamond speculated that only the staff could access these, and they were not for use in informal sessions.

He let out a chuckle in admiration. Practical, yet eloquent.

He placed his gear down on the nearest workstation and took a seat, pulling his Scroll out of his pocket. He'd made a to-do list to ensure he didn't forget anything.

First on the list were Sigbjorn's grapnel and knives. The mainstays in Sigbjorn's otherwise expansive arsenal. He could create anything from hardlight as long as he knew how it worked, so there was a weapon for almost every situation. Large Grimm? Rocket Launcher. Need to fly? Wings. A squad of White Fang? IR Cannon. The IR Cannon was Diamond's personal favourite since he could increase the severity of Sigbjorn's blasts by amplifying the IR intensity using his own semblance. But making weapons consumed large amounts of Sigbjorn's Aura, which was susceptible to quick drainage even without the weapons. Hence, Sigbjorn decided to use the real counterparts of his basic preferred loadout. The knives could be thrown or wielded in close quarters. This allowed him to counter distant threats and worked well to suppress ranged fire in encounters where enemies were at varying distances. They usually weren't enough to take down most enemies on their own, but it could stun them for long enough for Sigbjorn or one of his teammates to finish the job. They also had a special feature that would come in handy in enclosed environments or against a large number of Grimm. He could use his grapnel to pull them in close or to disarm them while they were disoriented. He preferred this over flying close to them. He considered the risk of being caught too great.

Sigbjorn's fighting style focused on immobilising enemies by delivering swift strikes to joints, muscles, bones, nerve clusters and other anatomic weak points. He had trained to target these locations because this was an efficient way to end a fight, so he could then move on to other tasks, usually offering help to his team members. It didn't even need him to use his semblance unless he was midair or was facing more than three opponents, depending on their skill level. His only real weaknesses were enemies outside his range or those who moved/reacted too quickly (with some form of a speed semblance).

But Sigbjorn was reluctant to use the knives. At first, Diamond thought it was because Sigbjorn was hesitant to kill or seriously injure, but the real reason turned out to be far more pragmatic: they were lost quite easily.

Diamond decided that he'd try and fix that issue today after discussing the details with Steele using radiofrequency emitters and gravity Dust. He'd also 'borrowed' Sigbjorn's gloves (without having the will to wake him up to ask) for the task.

He kept the knives at one end of the corridor and stood at the opposite wall, wearing the glove.

_Slightly larger than my size. Typical... oh Oum, is that sweat?! Gross, gross, gross!_

With superhuman effort, he ignored the sweat and pointed the Scroll in his other hand towards the knives and pressed the record button. He was live-streaming it to the SRDS group chat.

"Okay, uh, this is the first test of the automatic knife retrieval concept.

The effective range is 20 metres, and the knives are about 10 metres away so this _should_ work..."

He pressed the button in the centre of the glove's palm, activating the radio source. Using a slider, he set it to low power. The LED indicators at the back of the glove and those on the hilt of the knives glowed a faint purple, a sign that things were going well. Slowly, in unison, the knives started dragging themselves across the floor, occasionally hopping like rabbits, closing a gap of 2 metres.

_Yes!_

He increased the power to medium. The glow increased and the knives now started to float towards him faster in a straight line. It would be enough to retrieve the knives at close range in a fight.

_Hmm... I wonder..._

* * *

"Here's your sandwich," said Ross as he passed the dish to a recently-awoken Sigbjorn, who sat at the dining table of their dorm.

"Hmm..."

Sigbjorn was busy watching Diamond's live-stream, delayed by a few seconds. Ross sat next to him, watching the same video with interest.

"That's really cool!" he whistled and then turned to face Steele's bed. "Steele! The knife thing worked!"

Steele teleported to them using the Dust marker on Sigbjorn's t-shirt, eyes fixed on the video. He studied it for a few moments and then frowned. "Odd. I didn't realise it would be that fast at medium power."

 _Uh-oh_ , thought Sigbjorn.

Diamond increased the power to high.

The knives raced to him at an alarming speed. Some of their blades somersaulted to point at him due to the momentum. He yelped as he turned the glove off and lunged as far as he could to his side. As he landed on his shoulder, the knives crashed into the steel wall behind his initial position. As they dropped to the floor, Diamond let out a sigh of relief. So did his teammates.

"Well... I'd say that was _double-edged._ "

Steele chuckled at the pun. Ross burst out laughing. Sigbjorn shook his head and called Diamond.

"Hey, you good?"

_"Dammit, you saw that?"_

"You were the one live-streaming it."

 _"Yeah, well,"_ Diamond lifted himself off the floor, _"Got a way to get your knives back. Medium power works just fine,"_ he placed the glove and knives onto the workbench.

"...is that my glove? You stole my glove, didn't you? Who let you take my glove?"

_"Didn't want to disturb you, Sleeping Beauty."_

"Whatever, birdbrain... good work. You too, Steele."

Diamond smirked and cut the call.

Next on the list was Ross' weapon: Eclipse. If one pictured a large battleaxe, but with one side being blunt instead of sharp, they would have a pretty good idea of what Eclipse looked like. It was crude, yes, but extremely effective: the bladed side could be loaded with Dust and made close-quarter fights with Grimm a walk in the park. The blunt side was the nightmare of many of Ross' human opponents, the latest on that list being Russel of Team CRDL. Its weight meant it could deal tremendous damage in the hands of someone who could wield it efficiently. Since it wasn't a bladed weapon, it crumpled most things like wet tissue paper. Armour too. Through dedication and training, Ross had strengthened himself so that he could move the heavy hammer with surprising dexterity.

But this wasn't enough for Ross: to everyone's surprise, he'd insisted on having a sniper rifle mode for Eclipse. Not something one would typically expect, but he raised some hard-to-counter points; none on their team had better aim with ballistics, a high-calibre sniper would be beneficial for the team and he had the strength needed for the job. Importantly, Steele noted, he could cover them from range and if something came up that did require his attention, Ross could use his Semblance to make up for his absence as he closed the distance.

Diamond thought it suited Ross very well. Ross was better than he, or even Steele, at perceiving opportunities or details in his environment. His reaction times were very spot-on. Couple that with a mean swing using a heavy hammer, and Diamond considered Ross to be the best in his team when it came to armed combat.

Ross was also very thorough with his own maintenance; the most Diamond usually had to fix was a thin streak of outer coating that had worn off. Occasionally, the trigger would malfunction due to a loose screw, caused due to impacts when _Eclipse_ was used in the hammer form. Diamond had noted the problem and decided to place the screw's head on the outside of the rifle, welding additional bits near the point of the screw to ensure it would never fall out of place. A simple, yet effective and lasting solution. That way it could be tightened in battle, but on Maintenance Day he liked to fine-tune it with his wrench to get the trigger as perfect as he could.

Diamond also decided to thread _Eclipse's_ barrel. This would help out immensely on missions that required stealth and overwatch.

He opened his chat with Ross.

Diamond: _Hey, Ross. Just finished working on Eclipse._

Ross: _You fixed the trigger?_

Diamond: _Yep._

Ross: _Cool! Thanks man. Sorry I couldn't make it today but u know this stuff gets boring real quick. I wanted to eat or do somthing_ (sic) _fun_

Diamond: _Could always bring some music with you._

Ross: _u can't handle my rock 😉_

Diamond: _Wdym? Of course I can._

Ross: _No u can't u listen to classical._

Diamond: _So? I like Beethoven_ and _Slipknot._

Ross: _Heretic!_

Diamond: _"hERetIc." Dumbass!_

Ross: _😂_

Ross: _Alright man I'm gonna go train. Sigbjorn and I are doing cool Semblance stuff. Steele too. He wants me to tell you to do something about his bolts._

Diamond: _Okay, tell him I'm starting to work on his weapon now._

It was _Predator's_ turn.

It was initially a compound bow. After a few practice fights, Steele had tossed that aside in favour of a single-handed crossbow. It offered him several advantages: it was easier to use since a locking mechanism was present for the string, it was usually more accurate so he had to spend less time and effort aiming and it could be handled with ease. This was a crucial advantage over a bow: a crossbow would be easier to operate if he was injured in battle.  
  
With the earlier model, there were two glaring disadvantages: he could use only bolts, and he had to reload the bolts manually. This was very cumbersome since the bolts were small: they were hard to handle and there was a greater chance that he would prick himself.  
With Diamond's help, Steele had remedied that problem in the second rendition of the crossbow a couple of years ago. They had fitted an automatic loading system as well as two locking modes for the drawstring: one for small bolts and the other for larger ones, increasing the ammunition types available.

The third model of the crossbow featured a multi-fire system. Steele had realised that with the addition of a slider along the crossbow rail, a switch for the reloading system and a stronger drawstring, he could load a maximum of 5 bolts and adjust their spread before firing. All he needed to do was press a button n-1 times for n bolts to be fired since the first bolt would be automatically loaded.   
He'd just have to practice to get used to the trajectories, and Steele was a _very_ quick learner.

The next step was to make the weapon even more versatile by making the bolts have various effects besides being standard Dust rounds. Diamond thought this was a great idea and insisted on working on it since it added some variety. He was always excited to work on new models and upgrades; it meant less routine work.

First, he placed Dust markers on the bolts in case Steele needed to move around quickly.   
  
He finished filling up one bolt with white phosphorus and a whistling tip, deciding one of them would be a flare type bolt.   
  
He filled another one's shaft with razor-sharp wire and a grapple tip attached to the end of the wire which was coated in Electric Dust. This wasn't going to hit any targets. Its purpose was to instead attach to walls and create a thin wire spanning the length of a room. It could be used to secure environments, setting up a perimeter or hunkering down for asset protection. The wire would be almost invisible and would have an electric current running through it. Anything that touched it would get shocked and anything that moved towards it at high speed wouldn't exactly remain in one piece.

The final bolt he decided to work on was tricky. It would be single-use, like the rest. Unlike the rest, this would definitely violate some sort of wartime law if the timing was off.

The bolt's tip had a small tube running down into a tank of compressed carbon dioxide. On impact, the gas would be pumped into whatever it hit. In theory, it would cause an explosion of sorts when all that CO2 was quickly expelled within 1/10th of a second, making it useful for quiet breaching or dismantling of large machines. If the release was too slow, it would be less effective against machines or Grimm. Against human targets though, it would be a very slow and painful demise. It would be a similar situation to decompression sickness, in which air bubbles would pass through the bloodstream causing horrible effects, including the painful disintegration of the spine and possibly death by gas embolism. If he adjusted the timer on this thing, it would turn from a tool of war into a tool of torture.

He shuddered. He found the idea of Steele being on the other side... disturbing, to say the least. Methodical, intelligent and most of all, determined. Come to think of it, they could all have become formidable guns for hire if they were morally weak.

 _Then again, what are we but Ozpin's boy scouts?_ he thought wryly to himself, then shook his head in disapproval of the thought.

He started recording with his scroll, loaded one such bolt onto the crossbow, aimed for a piece of chalk in the front of the room and fired. As expected, the chalk burst into a fine white powder.

He decided to paint these last bolts with a bright red band.

He sent Steele the video, set down the prototype bolts and was about to finally begin working on his own weapon when he heard the door to the lab open again. It signalled that his solitude had ended abruptly, which disappointed him. He craned his neck to see who had entered and was pleasantly surprised to find Ruby closing the door.

"Oh, hi there!" Diamond smiled, waving when she turned around.

"Hello, Diamond," said Ruby, smiling back while adjusting her satchel, walking toward the workstation to Diamond's left.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Oh, minor stuff. After what happened at the Carnival, I made a mental note to clean up Crescent Rose," she said, placing her weapon on the bench in rifle form, "And I noticed that the trigger was acting a little strange in a sparring session yesterday."

"Ah, I see," Diamond remarked, "I was fixing a similar issue for Ross. He keeps telling me how infuriating it is."

Ruby nodded, "That's true, it's annoying. Especially when you have a sniper rifle. Imagine: you've found an opportunity to take down a moving target, but the trigger weight is off so either you don't fire at all, or fire quicker than you expected. Either way, it... kinda sucks," she shook her head as she finished. Diamond nodded in acknowledgement, smiling at her going off on a tangent.

"How about you?"

"I'm working on my team's gear."

The next thing he knew, Ruby wasn't in her original position anymore; just a bunch of rose petals gently gliding to the ground there. Startled, Diamond turned to his right and found Ruby examining his teammates' weapons.

"Ohmygod they look so awesome!" Ruby squealed in delight. She bent closer to examine Eclipse.

"That's Ross', right? I saw it when you arrived at Beacon."

"Yep, that's his."

"It looks different... you're changing the barrel!"

"Yeah, so that--"

"Now you can add a sound or flash suppressor. That wasn't possible with the previous barrel since it was threaded!"

Diamond raised an eyebrow, "You meant it when you said you're into weapons, huh?"

Ruby stared blankly for a moment. "Heh. Sorry, carried away again," she rubbed the back of her head.

"No problem! I think weapons are cool, too!" he smiled, "You can have a closer look if you want. I'm sure they won't mind."

"Really? What are these knives? And why is your hand purple?"

"Well, those are Sigbjorn's knives and I'm working on an auto retrieval system for them using Gravity Dust. They would get lost as he threw them, so I was fixing that."

Ruby picked one up and began to examine the tip.

Diamond saw her eyes perk up and her jaw clench as she stopped herself from speaking.

"Something on your mind? It looked like you wanted to say something. I'm open to feedback... especially from you."

Ruby's eyes widened at the last part, "Uh-what?"

"Oh! Um, I, I mean..." Diamond stammered before finding the right words, "Since you designed _that_ ," said Diamond, pointing at Crescent Rose. "It looks very complex. I couldn't make something like that so you must be very skilled regarding weapons, more than I am. So... I'd like any advice you have."

"Oh," Ruby smiled, briefly breaking eye contact, "Thanks."

Diamond smiled back and gave a double thumbs-up.

"What I wanted to say was that most of the targets we face, both humanoid and Grimm, have armoured sections which are impenetrable to normal knives. Unless he's very precise, he's going to have a hard time hitting them... and even so, why waste time aiming, right? It's a knife, after all."

She had a point. Grimm had bone armour and Humans and Faunus usually fought with some sort of armour themselves.

"Instead, how about adding some Dust tips, or a hardened metal edge? That way it can pierce targets better."

Again, Ruby had a valid point. They were great against cloth, but armour limited them severely. He made a mental note to add those upgrades.

"Got it. Anything else?"

Ruby peered over the other weapons, giving them all detailed inspections. She turned to Diamond, "These weapons are designed well, but you could lighten the metals you use. I'd suggest carbon-fibre. That would allow for faster swings and movements, but it can be a little bit expensive."

"You're right," Diamond said, then elaborated, "That would be a major improvement for Sigbjorn, Steele and myself. I'm pretty sure Ross won't want me to change _Eclipse_ as much since he's used to the weight... he uses it to his advantage more than anything."

He turned to Ruby and smiled, "See? That helps, thanks!"

Ruby nodded, "You're welcome. You said that it would help you out as well, so which one's yours?"

Diamond unclipped from his bag a long metal staff with a long, curved blade at one end. The staff end was painted black with secondary blue stripes and splashes, while the blade was a dull grey.

"A naginata," Ruby remarked. "Cool! I've never seen one that has a metal shaft."

"Yep. It makes the staff strikes harder. A little more difficult to wield, but your carbon-fibre suggestion would come in handy here. It also has an Electric Dust port integrated into it which can deliver a current to electrodes at either end. That way, I don't end up zapping myself."

He pressed one of two corresponding switches. Blue sparks jumped out from both the blunt end and the blade of the weapon.

"There's a baton mode..."

Diamond pushed in a lock and the shaft split down the middle. Diamond picked up a baton in each hand, slightly twirling the one the blade was attached to. Ruby noted he was using the extra weight of the bladed baton instead of being encumbered by it: he must be experienced while using it.

"...and I can remove the blade."

By pulling out a pin, Diamond removed the blade from the baton counterpart. He pushed in the electrode switch on each baton again, causing both blunt ends on each baton to spark. He quickly reassembled it back to its naginata form.

"That's really cool!" said Ruby, "What else?"

"Uhm... that's pretty much it." Diamond chuckled, "Sorry to disappoint."

"Oh, no, no I didn't mean it that way!" Ruby said, a bit scared that he might have misinterpreted it.

Diamond laughed, "I know, it's chill."

Ruby sighed in relief. She looked at the other weapons and then at Diamond's.

"Your weapon... it's different."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well, most of the weapons I've seen at Beacon have some kind of fire mode or permanent design feature that is supposed to do enough damage to be lethal to a human without Aura, and hence more effective against Grimm. Yours is the only one I've seen so far that has a mode where a feature like that is optional. Why is that?"

"Yeah," Diamond sighed, "This is going to sound dumb, but I don't like the idea that I might kill someone if I'm not careful. Even by accident. There's usually a lot of stuff going on in a fight, so I tend to try and narrow my focus on whatever's happening around me. The design is deliberate so that I know that I need to be more careful when I'm using the blade in lethal mode," Diamond emphasized _lethal_ with air quotes, "Besides, I have _Salt_ and _Pepper_ to deal with tougher targets."

"Oh, that's fair," Ruby smiled, "I don't think it's dumb at all. It's actually quite thoughtful of you."

Diamond raised his eyebrows.

"You okay?" Ruby asked with mild concern.

"Oh yeah, yeah. It's just... _finally_ , someone gets it," he smiled, "I mean, nobody aside from my teammates really understood, and even then I had to elaborate it to them since they're concerned about my safety. In fact, it was Sigbjorn who suggested the pistols."

"Well, to each their own," said Ruby, "Are you going to be modifying anything?"

"I was going to try and figure out if I could use other Dust types. Steele says this is effective the way it is, but that I need to be more versatile with the Dust. Truth be told, he's right, but I need to think about what could work," Diamond said, scratching his head.

"Well, you could think about what _doesn't_ work and move on from there. What are the blades made of?"

"Stainless steel, about 11% chromium."

"Hmm..." Ruby thought out loud.

"Uh, it's okay, I'll think of something. "I don't want to keep you from working on your own stuff," said Diamond.

"No, no, it's no problem!" Ruby said, then crossed her arms and added with an air of authority, "As your friend, I _insist_ on helping you!"

Diamond chuckled, "Alright, alright."

"Well, what about Fire Dust? You could use it for heating up the blade. They wouldn't melt and be very effective against Grimm that way. Since that blade is designed for slashing, it would probably be able to cause deep burns."

"That makes sense," Diamond nodded, "Let's see if it works..."

He started implementing the upgrade. Occasionally, he would glance across the table to see what Ruby was up to, observing the care with which she handled her weapon and made adjustments. She seemed to be enjoying her work.

"Alright, here goes..."

Diamond pushed in a switch on his baton. The blade glowed a bright orange.

"It works! I told you so," Ruby noticed.

"Ah, _finally_!" he said, deactivating the Dust.

"All done. Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it," he smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing," she smiled back, "Just glad I could help."

"I notice you're nearly finished too," Diamond said, gesturing with his eyes toward Crescent Rose.

"Yeah, just a few... final... touches..." Ruby said as she tightened a couple of screws. Diamond started packing his equipment.

"There, that should do it," she said once she was done.

"Great! I'll wait for you to finish u--"

Ruby used her Semblance to place all of her equipment back inside the satchel with electric speed. She stood in front of Diamond with Crescent Rose strapped to her back in sniper-form.

"You were saying?"

Diamond chuckled and shook his head. He gestured to the door, "After you."

It shut behind them with a soft _click_ once they exited. They started walking back to their dorms. The change of scenery worked to refresh Diamond's mind after working on the detailed weapon-work for so long.

"So, how long are you guys staying at Beacon?" Ruby asked.

"Definitely for longer than any of us thought after whatever happened last night," replied Diamond.

"Oh... yeah," said Ruby, her face fell as she remembered the diplomat, "That was awful."

"I'm disappointed we weren't able to save him. We were right there," Diamond sighed, shaking his head with a sad look.

"That's true, but there's no way we could've known," Ruby said in an attempt to comfort him.

"Yeah... still," Diamond shrugged.

"We still managed to save everyone else at the Carnival," said Ruby, "We helped in whatever way we could and we did our best. That counts!"

Diamond looked at her with widened eyes, then shook his head as a smile crept on his face.

"Glass half full, huh? I agree. At least nobody else got hurt. Especially given that that situation could have deteriorated really quickly," he turned to Ruby, "Yeah, I guess more people ought to see it that way."

"There we go!" said Ruby with a smile.

"Alright, alright," he smiled back. His eyes drifted to _Crescent Rose_.

"Um, could I see your weapon, now that it's fixed? I only got a brief look last night."

Ruby grinned, "Sure thing!"

She was about to pull out the weapon when she remembered something: "Wait, we can't draw our weapons in the hallways."

"What? That sounds dumb! What if you're under attack?"

"That's a special circumstance in which we can use them, but not otherwise since it might damage school property," Ruby said, "But that's beside the point. It's not like that's ever going to happen. I guess I could show you when we get to the courtyard."

"Okay, that works. I considered turning us invisible, but the sound would still give us away."

"That's right... wait, you can turn _other_ people invisible too?"

"Yep!" Diamond grinned.

"That's pretty neat!" said Ruby, "Which reminds me, I think your weapon complements your Semblance nicely. You could get close to a target safely and deal a lot of damage before pulling out."

"Thanks," said Diamond with a sheepish smile, "I also like to keep things dynamic; that tends to work in our favour. I usually focus on disabling anything that is slowing us down and cover my teammates from time to time. Invisibility also helps me, or us, maintain and regain the element of surprise in a fight. That helps tremendously when you're dealing with a large force. You can keep dividing them into smaller, more manageable groups. It's a lot better than a battle of attrition."

"Sounds like you're used to dealing with humanoid targets. Does the same thing work for Grimm?"

Diamond paused, "We... well, that's why I have _Salt_ and _Pepper_. And the blades. We don't often run into Grimm, but we've handled them so far. Last night was no exception."

Ruby frowned. They were Huntsmen... who had a focus on humans or Faunus, but didn't 'often run into Grimm?' Odd. _Very_ odd.

She realised that they were now in the courtyard separating the classrooms and labs from the dorms.

"Here we are," Ruby said, pulling out _Crescent Rose_. She changed it into scythe form as she walked, smiling at the mechanism. It never got old.

Diamond whistled in amazement, "Not gonna lie, it looks amazing."

He extended both hands, "May I?"

"Only if you let me handle yours."

"Fair enough," said Diamond, handing her the naginata and accepting _Crescent Rose_ in return.

"Wow, this thing is heavier than it looks," Diamond said, examining the features of the weapon, the magazine, the scythe blade and the scope. He tried twirling it around like Ruby at the carnival, only to end up stumbling, almost losing his balance and making Ruby laugh at the sight of him doing so.

"You make it seem easier than it actually is," Diamond smiled.

"It has a pretty steep learning curve, especially because it is imbalanced towards the scythe-end. But that gives it more melee power when you know how to use it properly," Ruby explained.

"Yeah, it's kinda like _Eclipse_ in that aspect. Both of them are sniper rifles, too," Diamond said as he continued walking, "Except yours seems to be bolt-action while _Eclipse_ is semi-automatic. Must be handy reloading with your Speed semblance."

With that sentence, Diamond's eyes widened in realisation, "You said my weapon compliments my semblance, but in this case, that would be an understatement. You've basically nullified all the disadvantages of having a sniper rifle. You can move around and reload quickly, and you have an effective melee weapon for close quarters. I also noticed you made the recoil work for the scythe form in yesterday's fight as well, when you decapitated that Beowolf while shooting at another. This is extremely creative. _Very_ well done."

"Thanks!" Ruby beamed, " _Finally_ , someone appreciates art," she said, making both of them laugh.

Meanwhile, she was studying Diamond's batons. She asked for the pin for the blade, separated it and then struck a martial arts pose, "Hi-yah!"

"Yes, that's _exactly_ what I do," Diamond laughed once he turned around and saw her, "You're on the right track."

"They're fun to use!" Ruby chuckled as she caught up to him, "What did you name them again?"

" _Twilight,_ " Diamond replied.

"Oooh, fancy! Is it because they separate into two and it relates to your Semblance?"

"Bingo," he said smiling, "Also because of the electric sparks."

"Clever," she said, fusing the two batons to form the staff, "It feels similar to _Crescent Rose_ , but it's obviously more balanced."

As if to prove her point, she placed her palm under the middle of the staff and held it out. It swayed up and down a little, like a see-saw, but didn't fall.

"Good weapon, if you ask me," said Ruby, turning _Twilight_ back into one form and trading _Crescent Rose_ for it once again. As they entered the dorm building, Diamond placed the batons inside his bag and Ruby attached the sniper-scythe to its holster on her back.

"As I've said, _Crescent Rose_ is great, too," Diamond said, "It's complex and yet functional. I'm assuming it can use Dust rounds too?"

"Yep. Fire, Ice, Electric and Gravity. So far, at least."

"Neat! _Salt_ and _Pepper_ use Fire, Electric and Ice rounds."

"I noticed you using those on the Ursa yesterday," Ruby recalled.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? It was getting un- _bear_ -able," Diamond said with a wink.

"Please don't start again," Ruby said exasperatedly. Yang's jokes were bad enough. Now there were two of them? This was getting out of hand! But to Yang and Diamond, this was where the fun began. Bad puns were their speciality.

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

"Oh, come on," Diamond grinned, "You have to admit that joke had a good _pun_ -ch line, eh? Eh?"

Ruby shook her head and elbowed him in his ribs.

"Ow! Hey! If you think they're so bad, why are you smiling?"

"Am not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm smiling only because they're so dumb!"

Diamond placed a hand on his chest and inhaled sharply with his mouth open, making Ruby giggle further.

"I am _offended_ , ma'am! An _offence_ of the _first_ degree!" he said in a posh accent, stressing the 'f' and 's' _sounds_ _for further_ comedic _effect_. It worked, he took note, as Ruby started laughing.

"See? There you go!"

"You win this round, Diamond," she smiled.

"All in a day's work," he said, taking a bow.

"Well, this is your stop," Diamond remarked as they reached Team RWBY's dorm, "Once again, thanks for helping, Ruby. It means a lot."

"I told you, it's no problem. It was nice talking to you."

"Likewise. See you around," he said, giving a two-finger wave before moving onward to his own dorm.

* * *

"Remarkable," Steele said, viewing the footage of the CO2 crossbow bolt that Diamond had sent. He was lying on his bunk in the dorm room.

"Alright, everyone," said Sigbjorn, addressing Steele and Ross, "What did we learn from this?"

"That I should try sticking faster enemies to the same spot before sniping or hitting them with _Eclipse_ ," Ross replied.

"And that I need to improve my close-quarters capability," Steele said.

"Most importantly, we should try to coordinate Semblance attacks better--"

Sigbjorn was interrupted by a knock on the door. Ross began walking towards it.

"Who is it?"

 _"Kanga,"_ came the reply in a raspy voice. Steele rolled his eyes as Sigbjorn buried his face in his palms. Ross, however, was intrigued by this new 'Kanga' character.

"Kanga who?"

 _"No, it's Kanga-roo!"_ Diamond's normal voice boomed through the door. Ross smirked and opened the door.

"Nice one, Diamond."

"No! Don't encourage him, Ross!" Steele shook his head in disappointment.

"Santa's here, you naughty little children," said Diamond as he entered.

"The only child in here is you," Steele said as Diamond handed him _Predator._

"A child to which you should owe your loyalty, for I bring gifts!"

"Thank you, Birdbrain," said Sigbjorn.

"You're welcome, Jerk," said Diamond with a wink, tossing Sigbjorn his glove back and placing the knives on the table.

"And me?" Ross said expectantly.

"Here you go. Be careful with that," Diamond said, handing Ross _Eclipse_.

"Hey Sigbjorn, could we place an order for some carbon-fibre?"

"What for?"

"A few more upgrades Ruby suggested," Diamond said as he collapsed on the couch.

"Oh-ho! _S_ _omeone's_ been busy," Ross smirked. Diamond first frowned, not understanding, then drew in a sharp breath and narrowed his eyes, "Oh, haha Ross. A real comedian you are. Now back to the upgrades..."

"...you just made these improvements. Take it easy," Ross remarked, "We should get used to the current layout before we make any changes."

"Agreed, but understand that the march towards progress is a continual one, Ross," Steele remarked, smiling. Diamond raised an arm and pointed at Steele, "The man has a point! Time and tide await none!"

Neither did Diamond's stomach, which growled in vigorous approval.

"Alright, Nietzsche Jr., you skipped lunch."

"Ah, crap! It's been that long?" Diamond remarked, checking the time on his scroll. It had been about 4 hours and now that he knew, he felt all the more hungry.

"Right," Ross chuckled, "I'll fix you something."

"What'd I miss in today's training?"

"Not much. Just a bit of Semblance practice and then figuring out how we could use them better."

"Hm. Run me up to speed later, because _tonight_ ," Diamond smiled, "Is game night!"

"You mean the 13th consecutive time I kick everyone else's ass?" Sigbjorn smiled, "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Only because you used your Semblance to cheat!" Ross said from the kitchen.

"Pfft, what?! Bullcrap!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Really?! Okay, to prove it to you, you can even keep an eye on my Scroll this time!"

* * *

Silver picked up his ringing Scroll.

"Get to the point."

He listened for a few seconds.

"...Weiss Schnee? ... I'll give it some thought."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Consider leaving a vote if you did, and we'd love to hear if you have any feedback or suggestions in mind.
> 
> This chapter, while much longer than most of its siblings, should give you guys a pretty explicit idea of each member's fighting styles. I figured it'd help you imagine/envision some stuff later, as well as set a kind of base consistency which we could strive to maintain.
> 
> With that being said, see you in the next chapter!


	14. Why They're Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day passes at Beacon.

**_ Two days later _ **

**_ Ozpin's Office, Beacon Academy _ **

"Ozpin... I'm telling you, it's real! I swear! If you don't do something quickly, and I mean quickly as in a WEEK or something, your Academy will be overrun. I don't have much... oh, no, they've found me! I've got to... wait, Greene? Is that y--GAAAAHHHK!!!"

The message terminated and then started looping as it had been for the past 10 minutes. Ozpin and Glynda were present in the room, and Ironwood was listening in from Atlas.

Ozpin took all the details of the message into consideration. Glynda finally asked, "What do you make of it?"

"This is a very complicated and sensitive matter," he finally spoke.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Glynda asked, worry lines present on her forehead.

"I don't know, Glynda. For all I know, this could be a trap," said Ozpin, then paused to think.

"But something was convincing in his voice... and if this was indeed a trap, why would they kill him?" he continued.

"This is threatening the security of Beacon Academy. I think we should ramp up the security in Vale. I can send you some of my troops," offered Ironwood.

"No, that won't do any good," Ozpin said, shaking his head in disapproval, "The people will be suspicious as to what's going on, and we can't have more panic than necessary. Besides, if the threat is as urgent as the man said, this could take too long. We have less than a week, General."

"Then what do we do? Let the matter slide?" questioned Glynda.

Ozpin paused to think of a course of action.

"We can't take the risk of believing that the information was false unless we have solid proof," he said. He ran the possible courses of action in his mind, but only one was prevalent among them. He sighed and said, "We need a response team."

Glynda thought about it for a while, then her eyes widened as it hit her.

"Wait, Team SRDS?"

"Hmm... they would be ideal for this kind of operation. A four-man team would keep progress at a steady pace," considered Ironwood, his voice fluctuating over the radio.

"They're children, Ozpin. We can let someone else handle this, like Qrow," offered Glynda, obviously concerned about the Huntsmen-in-training.

"They've been in tougher scrapes before," said Ironwood.

 _Qrow already has his hands full as it is,_ thought Ozpin to himself.

"I need time to think this through," he finally announced, "With a bit of luck, it won't take too long."

* * *

_**(SRDS Dorm room)** _

"Where are you going?" Ross asked in a confused voice.

"I have to meet a certain someone," replied Steele, straightening his trench coat in front of the mirror.

Ross started grinning from one ear to the other, "Steele, you sly moron, I knew you had a girlf--"

Steele gave Ross a petrifying death stare, effectively shutting him up.

"No. Remember Blake Belladonna? I have to talk to her about something," said Steele, trying to make Ross understand.

"Which is...?" said Ross in response to Steele's statement.

"Potentially useful in case we get another White Fang assignment. I'll be back in less than an hour," he announced, closing the door. Ross got up from his bed and tried to stop him.

"But you promised we would watch Red vers--"

It was too late. Steele shut the door in Ross's face and left, leaving him with a hurting nose.

Where's Diamond when you need him? Thought Ross while rubbing his nose, trying to make the pain disappear.

"I can't watch RvB alone!!" he finally exclaimed, letting out an exasperated sigh and falling to the bed.

"I heard RvB!" Diamond said as he uncloaked himself, making Ross jump.

"CAN YOU NOT STAY INVISIBLE FOR ONCE?!" Ross yelled, but internally he was happy because he knew that Diamond could never resist anything related to Red versus Blue.

Diamond shrugged, then offered, "I'll get popcorn."

**(In another part of Beacon)**

Blake was on her way to the library to research about the White Fang, her footsteps echoing through empty halls. Luckily, she was free for most of the day, so she could collect more data.

She stopped suddenly as her ears twitched, picking up the slightest disturbance. She turned partially until she registered the presence of Steele in his red t-shirt showing through his unbuttoned white trench coat and black trousers.

"Oh, it's you," Blake said, still keeping her amber eyes fixed on him.

Steele nonchalantly walked closer. "Despite my efforts, you managed to locate me. I'm impressed," he said, stopping and smiling. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Some special people," Blake said, relaxing her stance a little bit.

"Oh..." Steele trailed off for a bit, and just as Blake was about to leave, he said, "I wouldn't exactly use the term 'special' for an organisation such as the White Fang, Miss Belladonna."

Blake's eyes widened and then narrowed. She gritted her teeth, thinking that Steele was present to blackmail her. Or he could be guessing again. Blake decided to take the second probability and quickly said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

At this, Steele started laughing, much to Blake's annoyance. He quickly regained his composure.

"Pardon me, but that was so cliche that I couldn't help myself," he said, then spoke in a serious tone that echoed in the hallways, "But you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I'm not with the White Fang..." Blake said slowly through gritted teeth, her clenched fists shaking ever so slightly.

"No," said Steele, "you were with the White Fang," he corrected. In a split second, his eyes darted to Blake's right hand going for her chain scythe, Gambol Shroud. He wasn't here for a fight, and he didn't know Blake's skills in combat as of yet.

The best battles are the ones you avoid, he told himself.

"Don't worry," he said in a calm voice, "I'm one of the few people that know the difference between are and were. I'm not here to threaten you," he said, raising his hands in a sign of peace. His message got through and Blake seemed to relax a little bit. Steele smiled internally, and there was a long silence in the middle of the hall, now dark due to cloudy weather.

"Then why are you here?" Blake finally asked.

* * *

_"That's the question, isn't it? Why are we here? Are we the product of... some cosmic coincidence? Or is there really a God, watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff? I don't know man, but it keeps me up at night."_

"This scene never gets old," said Ross, the light from the wall-monitor that Sigbjorn had created earlier bouncing off his face.

"Aghweed," Diamond managed through a mouthful of popcorn.

The door opened with a soft creak as Sigbjorn entered the room.

"I can't believe you guys are watching this again!" he said in frustration, "This is what, the fifth time?" Then his eyes rested on the monitor, "Wait, is that the first episode?!" He asked, his interest piquing.

"Sixth time binge-watching the series," Ross said, answering Sigbjorn's first question, then diverting his attention to the monitor.

"Waih! Wait!" Diamond managed as he realised something, putting the snack tray aside and scrambling for the remote to the monitor. He paused the video and swallowed the popcorn. "I can't believe Grif somehow relates to our scenario right now," he said finally.

"What do you mean?" asked Ross, slightly annoyed that Diamond interrupted the video.

"Do any of us know what the hell we're doing in Beacon?!" Diamond elaborated. "Why is Ozpin keeping us in the dark? I seriously think there's something weird happening," he said. This brought back a topic that Sigbjorn had been wanting to discuss for quite a while.

"That could be true..." Sigbjorn thought, then looked around the room. "Where's Steele?

"He went," said Ross unhelpfully.

"Where?"

"To talk."

"To who?!" Sigbjorn asked, irritated at Ross.

"To..." Ross stopped abruptly, "Wait, I don't remember."

"DAMMIT, ROSS!" Sigbjorn exclaimed, throwing a pillow at Ross, initiating a pillow fight.

"To Blake," said Diamond, "for something White Fang related. I think he's getting intel." He turned to face his brawling friends, but his eyes widened as he saw a pillow heading for his face instead. The pillow impacted, then landed harmlessly on the floor, but it must have done something to his face because it was displaying obvious traits of annoyance and slight anger as well.

"OH YEAH NOW I REMEMBER!" exclaimed Ross excitedly.

"Why would he go to Blake?" managed Sigbjorn, instantly getting hit on his head with a pillow. He growled and was about to counter when he heard Diamond say, "That's the kicker. She's ex-White Fang."

Sigbjorn and Ross stopped to look at him.

"How do you know?" Sigbjorn asked quickly.

"Steele told me," said Diamond, and glanced at Ross.

Ross's eyes widened and he added, "Plus, I remember a photograph of her next to Adam Taurus in one of the White Fang low-life's scrolls. I wasn't sure about it at first, but now that the theory exists, I'm positive it was her."

"You can remember all that, but not a person's name that you heard barely five minutes ago?!!" Sigbjorn said, his voice exuding anger, "Does your selective memory know no bounds?!"

"Hey, it was ten minutes ago!" defended Ross, not realising that it was barely helpful, forcing Diamond to bury his forehead in the palm of his right hand.

"Wait, Taurus?!!" said a dumbstruck Sigbjorn, catching on to something Ross said earlier.

"Steele said she was Taurus's right hand. She could potentially get us back on track."

"You're right. Weird stuff has been happening lately, and I'm positive that the White Fang has some answers. So far, we've hit a dead-end when it comes to info. Someone knows we're out there, and they don't like us interrupting whatever they're doing. Maybe this could help," he said, stopping to look at his teammates.

"Yeah, well, I don't like people interrupting **me** when I'm watching Red vs Blue, so..." with that, Diamond pressed a button on the control, and the video continued to show two blue soldiers.

_"What are they doing?"_

**(Right outside)**

"What?" asked Weiss, confused.

"I said, what do you think they're doing now?" Ruby repeated, impatient for an answer.

"And just how would I know?" replied Weiss, annoyed.

"Good point..." Ruby trailed off.

"Remember, all we need to do is have the masks on and yell loudly. They won't be suspecting a thing," said Weiss, smiling mischievously. She still had a promise to deliver.

Ruby smiled back putting on a Beowolf mask, "Got it."

**Knock knock.**

Sigbjorn was quickly alert and instantly dissolved the T.V. screen into pixels.

"You and your big mouth," said Ross, annoyed at Diamond for ruining the binge-watch. Diamond raised his hands in defence and was to reply when Sigbjorn interrupted him.

"Come in, please."

The door swung opened and Ruby and Weiss entered the room, yelling, but they didn't get a reaction. Well, at least until Sigbjorn and Diamond started laughing at them, crying because their stomachs hurt too much.

"You guys... hahahahaha!"

"Ooooh! The worst kind of Grimm! School uniform Grimm!!!" Sigbjorn said, and the boys collapsed into another bout of laughter. Ruby and Weiss took off their masks and looked at each other warily. Ruby turned to examine the huge dorm room.

There was a snack tray on the bed, with a chocolate milkshake (which, admittedly, she was tempted to grab, but realised that someone had drunk from it and let the idea slide) and nachos and some popcorn. The room was, frankly speaking, a mess, with stray pillows and bedsheets lying here and there. The laughing duo finally got to their feet.

"At least you guys tried. We aren't scared that easily," Sigbjorn said proudly. Ruby looked at Diamond beaming broadly. His blue eyes seemed to light up each time she looked at them. He looked at her and caught her staring at his face, and Ruby quickly glanced away, her cheeks warming up. Diamond noticed this but shrugged it off.

Ross looked at both of them with a deadpan expression, "Diamond, Sigbjorn... don't move."

"Why, what is it?" Sigbjorn asked.

"There is a spider right--"

"A-a-wh-what?" Diamond asked shakily.

"A spider," said Ross, and Diamond turned blue with fear.

"Is it between me and the door?" Diamond asked slowly with a terrified expression, his eyes scanning the room frantically.

"They're both blue!!!!!" Weiss said, laughing at their expense.

"Yes, it is right there," Ross replied to Diamond, pointing with his finger.

Diamond and Sigbjorn bombarded the spider with SMG fire and hard light bullets, but when the smoke cleared, somehow the spider was still standing unscathed.

Diamond straight up screamed, "IT'S IMMORTAL," and leapt to the opposite corner of the room. Sigbjorn just stared at the spider, paralysed, his eyes the definition of fear and hatred.

Weiss proceeded to kick the spider out of the dorm room, and Sigbjorn and Diamond breathed out a collective sigh of relief.

Ruby pointed across the room at Diamond and started laughing, "I can't believe you're that scared of spiders! They're so tiny!"

It seemed Diamond had watched a bit too much of RvB, because his face was blue earlier, and now, it was a shade of red that matched Sarge's armour.

"Sh-Shut up!" He stuttered, making her laugh harder.

Sigbjorn finally spoke with a deadly serious voice, "Spiders and insects are creatures from the very depths of hell that will continue terrorising humans until all sentient life in Remnant is either dead or enslaved. This is no laughing matter."

"He's right!" Diamond exclaimed.

"Seems to me that you're just too scared! Ross has no problem with spiders," Weiss commented, frustrating them both.

"Screw this. I'm just going to turn invisible and pretend like I don't care," said Diamond, cloaking himself. The door then opened (seemingly on its own), then slammed shut. Ruby shook her head.

"And I'm...Uh... going!" Sigbjorn excused himself, and the girls followed suit.

"I'm going too. No point in staying here alone," Ross finally said to himself.

* * *

"So... what you're saying is you want information on the White Fang," Blake summarised Steele's story.

"Yes. Everything you know," said Steele.

Their conversation had naturally dragged them into a part of Beacon that had little to no students around. Not that he cared. The subject of the conversation mattered ten times more.

"Why do you need this?" Blake asked.

"I'll be honest. We've been on the heels of the White Fang for quite a while," Steele said.

Blake remembered one eventful day when Adam was infuriated about some information and equipment being stolen by (according to what the White Fang "soldiers" saw) a group of 4 huntsmen.

Steele continued, "Public exposure is what will cripple the White Fang eventually. So, we've been collecting things in that area. The bad side of the White Fang. Their methods, and their internal organisational disputes, and a lot of the dirt is based on one name."

"Adam," thought Blake out loud.

"But then, someone knows what we're trying to do," said Steele with a frown, "I don't know who it is exactly, but whoever it is, is playing their cards well. We're at a dead-end, and that is something none of us likes."

"So you need my help?"

"Precisely. You give us what you know, we give you what we know. \"

"I'll think about it," said Blake.

"Take all the time you need," said Steele, " An enemy's enemy--"

"Isn't necessarily my friend," said Blake with a serious tone, and turned to leave.

"Wait" Steele called out, extending an arm, "Just more thing, Miss Belladonna."

Blake spun around slowly.

"It's Blake," she said with a small smile.

Steele nodded in acknowledgement and asked, "Why did you quit the White Fang?"

"The methods they are using are wrong. Just because violence works, doesn't mean it's the right way. Someone has got to put a stop to it."

Steele pondered over the statement.

"You made a good choice because you were next on our list, Mi-- Blake."

Blake smiled dryly and walked back to the library.

**(The docking area)**

Ross was sitting on the edge of the huge cliff. He simply enjoyed the view, and besides, the area had so many rocks that it felt like home to him.

"What'cha doing?"

Ross turned around to see Yang standing behind him with her arms crossed, smiling.

Ross smiled, "Oh hey Yang! I was just looking at the view. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I like it here because there's always some wind. I love that feeling," she replied.

"Oh! Well, okay," said Ross, turning back to the view.

Yang took a deep breath, reluctantly wandered to the edge and sat down next to Ross.

"Anyway, are you new here at Beacon?" asked Yang, trying to make conversation.

"Well... I've been here before if that's what you're asking. I think it was 8 years ago. No, 9. No, 8. Wait, no it was 9..." stated Ross.

Yang started laughing at this.

"Hey! Stop laughing!"

"Okay, okay, Mr Muscle, calm down," said Yang with a sly smirk, obviously trying to flirt.

"Mr Mussel? Like the shellfish?" said Ross, making Yang roll her eyes, "I don't like shellfish. It doesn't taste nice."

"Well, then, maybe you can tell me what you do like," suggested Yang, trying to get to know him.

"Well, I like my teammates. They're all awesome people. I like mountains and deserts and oceans. I like monster trucks. And I like Red vs Blue," he said.

 _What's Red vs Blue?_ Thought Yang to herself. It sounded familiar for some reason.

"I heard Red vs Blue!" said a voice, and both of them nearly fell off the cliff. And who else could it be but a laughing Diamond Jet?

"Diamond, I SWEAR I AM GOING TO MURDER YOU!" yelled Ross.

"Oh come on. Dude, you could've probably created some kind of Earth net or something to catch the both of you, right?" Diamond said, laughing while defending himself, "Whoa, take it easy!" he said, dodging a playful punch from Yang.

From a distance, Sigbjorn smiled at their laughter, then sighed. He had to be serious right now. Neither Diamond nor Ross would like what came next. He looked for one last time at the message on his scroll:

_Professor Ozpin wants to meet you this evening._


	15. Old enemies, New friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozpin talks to Sigbjorn about something important and SRDS make friends with JNPR.

**_Northern Sanus_ **

"You said you'd be finished with the plan soon," a masculine voice came crackling from the speakers of Silver Cerulean's private quarters.

"And we're already rolling with it. Have a little patience, and you'll get what you want," Silver replied calmly.

"This should have been done sooner with someone of your calibre, Silver. Why the delay?" the voice retorted. Silver nearly cringed, his ears stiffening and standing to attention, tiny bits of fur being illuminated by the light from the monitor. This wasn't how he was planning this conversation to go. But he could understand the frustration behind that voice; it mirrored his own for not being able to kick off the operation earlier.

"I am having some complications of my own. There were loose ends that needed to be tied up, but now that that's been dealt with, you can expect results. Just be ready," Silver replied to the mask projected on the screen, which had a slight whitish-tan background and red, horn-like symbols as a decoration.

"Hmmm," the voice contemplated, its pitch fluctuating due to the radio transmission quality. There was only so much one could do to ensure completely hidden communications through the CCT towers. The very same pieces of technology being used by the protectors of the Kingdoms were being used by the perpetrators of their doom. Silver found that thought ironic and smiled ruefully to himself before the voice continued, "So you have the Cypher?"

"Ozpin's informant has it embedded in his head, however thick as that may be according to my men. I shall see to it that he breaks, and we will soon have the location of Project Mako. That's when we shall mount our assault."

"Understood, Silver. Keep me updated," the voice replied with thorough satisfaction. Silver was someone who could be trusted with this burden, and he wasn't one of the White Fang's best for nothing. Even though he was a bounty hunter, Silver mostly ran operations for the White Fang. The voice at the other end couldn't be sure whether it was because of Silver's Faunus traits, or whether he genuinely believed the White Fang was right, or to fulfil some sort of vendetta. Or even a combination of the three. Either way, it didn't matter. At the end of the day, the White Fang was being helped, albeit at the expense of invaluable Dust and cash.

"You know I will," Silver replied casually before leaning to his right and grabbing the remote to switch off the monitor.

"Wait," the voice beckoned. Silver complied, hardly showing signs of expectancy. But showing some nonetheless. His fingers drummed the edge of the bunk in his ever dark cabin.

"This delay may take a slice out of your pay, Silver. You've never left room for error until now."

Silver sighed and shook his head.

"No. You can't."

"You and I both know very well that I can."

"Then let me rephrase myself, Adam. You won't. And Sienna won't find out about this little act you're running here. Remember, I can tip off whoever I want with the information. The men on these vessels may have been provided by you, but I would advise you against testing their loyalty. Or worse, testing my skills."

Silver paused for a bit.

"Underestimate me... and there will be consequences."

There was a long silence before the voice spoke, "You win."

Silver tossed the remote up in the air. It completed three somersaults before landing vertically upright on his palm. Unwavering.

"One last thing," the voice quickly interjected. Silver waited, staring at the monitor.

"What about our friends?" the voice asked.

"I have a special surprise planned for them once we locate Mako. It'll even tie into your little 'shock-and-awe' campaign. Until then, we should leave Team SRDS oblivious to our schemes. They are dangerous.Besides, I have a spy tracking their movements."

"Hmmm... I agree. No need to alarm anyone about anything. Fair winds, sailor," the voice humoured.

Silver allowed himself a rare chuckle, then ended communications.

* * *

_**Beacon Academy, Main Tower** _

Sigbjorn nervously fidgeted with his fingers inside the pockets of his hoodie as the elevator skyrocketed up to the floor Ozpin's office was on. He felt his stomach tying itself into knots as Glynda Goodwitch stared at him through her thick-rimmed spectacles.

"You seem anxious," she finally spoke.

"Um..." Sigbjorn wasn't sure how to answer. Some responses registered in his head were:

Nervousness does not exist but in the deepest reaches of one's mind.

Pfft! That's nothing! I eat Ozpins for breakfast!

I'm not anxious! I'm terrified! There's a difference.

Helphelphelphelphelphelphelphelp help me run, please!

"Well, it's been a long time since we last saw him," Sigbjorn finally managed. Glynda stared at him, holding her scroll in her arm.

"It's likewise for the Professor," she responded after a while.

"Yeah... well, there's that..." Sigbjorn mused to himself.

Sigbjorn was uncomfortable meeting Ozpin after so long. Hell, he could hardly remember a time when he wasn't nervous about the man. Ozpin was the one who had decided to assemble Team SRDS. He set Sigbjorn on his path, and Sigbjorn wanted to be thankful to him for that and deep inside he did, but largely he felt... anger? He felt angry at Ozpin for sending them down this road. Being a Huntsman... sure it was cool, and he felt awesome doing his part, but he didn't feel like this was what he wanted to do. He felt as if his entire team was thinking the same thing. Ross? Definitely. Diamond? Maybe a little bit. Steele? Not so much... he deserved more credit than what he allowed himself to get. But why him? Why his teammates? Why did Ozpin burden him with the responsibility of being Team Leader? These were questions he knew he wanted answers to but also knew he probably wasn't going to get them.

"I just want to get this over with," Sigbjorn stated out loud, though Glynda thought he meant it to himself rather than her.

What was he thinking? Being a Huntsman... it was a different way of life altogether. It provided many opportunities for him to test his skills... and at the end of the day, Sigbjorn felt quite proud since people were depending on him to keep their lives safe. He realised that his team had probably thought the same thing, too. They lost their sleep at night so that others didn't have to... and he wasn't going to lie to himself, this job was just too much fun.

But the elevator had other plans that seemingly didn't coincide with Sigbjorn's train of thought. A soft ding was enough to vaporise it completely, but it did the same for his anxiousness. Sigbjorn's expression hardened just a bit, and he furrowed his brow. Glynda gave him a slightly concerned look.

"I'll be fine," he responded to her look.

The doors slid open and Glynda exited first, followed by Sigbjorn as he took in the all too familiar sights of the office. The giant gears clicking above and below him, the dark walls, and of course, right in front of him was Professor Ozpin, seated behind his desk.

"Ah, Mr Phoenix. It's good to see you and your team after so long," Ozpin said with a smile. Sigbjorn noticed that Ozpin had his glasses on, with his green scarf around his neck, holding a steaming mug of coffee in one hand.

"Same here," Sigbjorn responded, stepping close to the table. Glynda watched the exchange take place from a distance as the two stared at each other. Ozpin had a slight smile on his face, while Sigbjorn was completely stoic.

"So," Ozpin began after a while, "How has your training been doing all this time?"

"I think it's been going pretty well. The only reason I'd know is that every time we look back at our original selves, there's a lot of cringing," Sigbjorn answered.

Ozpin chuckled at this.

"A sure sign of progress, then. I'm glad to hear that," Ozpin said, then took a sip of his coffee. There was a brief pause in the room. Sigbjorn found the constant creaking of the gears annoying, but he chose to ignore it.

"I hope your stay at Beacon Academy has been pleasant," Ozpin stated, facing him.

"Well... most of the people are nice, but I'm not going to lie, some could use a little work. Team CRDL in particular. I mean, they think they're tough, but I've seen punching bags do better," Sigbjorn said.

"I have taken your match with them into consideration, and now I don't believe that anyone will be having any trouble with them."

Sigbjorn chuckled and responded, "Heh, don't tell me we overdid it."

"On the contrary, I found the match quite enlightening. I now see that you've all grown in certain areas. Colour me impressed."

Sigbjorn realised that several minutes had elapsed and he hadn't gotten closer to understanding their purpose in Beacon Academy. He wanted to ask Ozpin about it, but couldn't reform thought into a sentence. Ozpin, however, noticed Sigbjorn's hesitation and spoke with an encouraging tone, "If you have something on your mind, feel free to enlighten us."

"I was just wondering..." Sigbjorn smiled wryly, "I was wondering why we're here. Don't take me wrong, we all like Beacon, but is there a specific reason that you asked us to come here?"

Ozpin sighed. He had been wanting to inform Team SRDS about this for quite a while. He felt that Team SRDS deserved to attend the sessions at Beacon Academy. They were good, true, but as with every Huntsman-in-training, there was always room for improvement. If they were at Beacon, Ozpin would be having a much better time keeping an eye on them, not to mention that the strength of the Academy would be increased by a significant margin.

"Straightforward as ever, Mr Phoenix," Ozpin smiled, "Yes, indeed there is. I wish for you and your team to join Beacon Academy."

The statement alarmed Sigbjorn. Klaxons started blaring in his head.

"It will be a good opportunity for you to learn from others, and perhaps others to learn from you. I think you would like the idea of staying at a fixed location to receive training rather than wandering out and about," Ozpin stated.

Sigbjorn thought about it for a while. It did seem to be appealing. Plus, he had made friends here. It would be interesting to pick up on some knowledge too... especially if they taught him advanced ballistics and how to enhance Dust grenades.

And for some strange reason, he found himself getting more intrigued by Weiss by the day. In the conversations he'd had with her, he'd noticed a few unexpected details. There was something about her... the way she treated others and herself made her seem like royalty, but her eyes narrated a different tale. Like something out of a fantasy novel. She was rich, but that reflected on her in a way he had never considered before: loneliness. Maybe that's why she was afraid to open up to people. He couldn't bring his sentience to face the fact, but his mind wasn't going to allow him to leave her alone until he figured out this enigma. It was too enticing, like a juicy, ripe mango hanging from a branch, basking in the twilight. He found it strange, the imagery his brain put before him.

As for Beacon, he was in for the most part, but he had to ask his teammates if they were alright with this arrangement.

"I gotta ask my teammates," he voiced his thoughts out loud.

Ozpin nodded, "It is important to take everyone's input in this kind of scenario. Take all the time you need."

Sigbjorn laughed softly.

"With our luck, you'll get to know in the next few hours," he said before entering the elevator. He nodded at Ozpin before the doors slid shut, but couldn't garner his reaction. He pressed the ground floor level gently, and the elevator shot downwards.

* * *

_**Beacon Academy, Docking Area** _

Ross, Diamond and Steele were at the edge of the cliff near the docking area. Steele was just gazing at the rocks, which he explained were formed into layers that sedimented over time and that some of them were made mostly out of calcium carbonate, the compressed remains of the shells of sea creatures of prehistoric times.

Meanwhile, Ross was completely ignoring Steele's lecture on geology and doing something that he wanted to do ever since he arrived at Beacon. He pulled out a sketchbook he had brought with him to the docking area and began drawing. His pencil danced lightly over the paper as he brought the tiniest little details to life. He loved drawing. It helped him concentrate, and it was one of the things he was good at. He loved drawing the outlines, then putting in the details, then adding layer upon layer of shading until it finally looked like something he knew he would like. So, he began sketching the vast open view.

Diamond was laying down, slightly further back. He was listening to Steele, but he felt like his mind was somewhere else entirely. Ever since Sigbjorn had told them he was going to meet Ozpin, he had been... distracted? Preoccupied? Lost? All of the above? For once, his thoughts were scattered all over in his brain, and he had no idea where. Eventually, he gave up looking for them and contemplated the misery of the prehistoric sea creatures that Steele had just described.

"Kinda sucks, right?" he asked when Steele paused, "Having nothing but some chalk or limestone as a reminder that you existed in this world. How the hell are people supposed to know what you look like? What you act like? Depressing..." he mused.

Steele turned around in surprise since he was expecting a joke on the sea creatures' names or something. This was not the usual jovial Diamond he knew. Of course, Diamond had his share of serious moments, seemingly reserved for those close to him. Steele had seen some himself. This was probably one of them.

"I mean... it's weird," he continued, "Why would you want to live in the sea, when you can just as easily traverse up there?"

Diamond lazily raised one finger to the clouds. Steele shook his head slightly.

"I guess not everyone's meant to fly, Diamond," Steele replied.

"Nah," Diamond smiled, "I think all you need is a pair of wings and some courage."

He seemed to realise that the atmosphere was now more serious. Steele saw his smile disappear, and change into a frown. It was like Diamond's semblance was sniffing out and defusing tension. He would do anything to lighten the mood, even ignoring his inner turmoil if he had to.

"OR, you know, some Dust and a really stupid death wish," he grinned, looking at Steele.

Steele smiled back at him and then turned to Ross, who was marvelling at his drawing.

"You're done?" Steele asked politely.

"I think so..." Ross said slowly, holding up the drawing for Steele to see. Diamond peered from behind Steele, trying to get a look. Once his eyes focused on it, Diamond's jaw nearly jumped to the bottom of the cliff. The thing was a masterpiece, and it was like he was looking at the view from the cliff in black and white. If Ross knew what 'auctions' were, he would probably be rich.

Rich enough to buy planes... huh... maybe I should tell him later, Diamond thought to himself.

"Dude, you just keep on getting better and better," he finally commented. Steele nodded in agreement.

"I don't know... I think it could use a bit of colour..." Ross mused. He never found the time to colour even one of his drawings. It was always on the move for him... or well, his entire team, but he kept that thought to himself.

He was not going to be the reason for an argument among his team members.

Diamond shrugged and went back to lying down, trying to spot shapes among the burning clouds above, which were casually bathing in the light and warmth of the evening sun.

Steele heard footsteps crunching against the grass on the pathway behind. He concentrated... one pair of feet. He turned around just in time to catch a metal can being thrown to his face. He didn't experience a large force exerted, though, so he took it to be non-hostile. He read the label on the can, which identified it to be a carbonated drink, apparently, apple juice flavoured. Only his teammates knew he liked that, and if Ross and Diamond were here...

Steele swiftly glanced behind the can to notice Sigbjorn walking close to them from a distance of about 5 metres.

He let out a small chuckle before popping the pull-tab on the can, which attracted attention from his team members. Sigbjorn plopped down next to them.

"I stopped by at the dining hall a few minutes ago on my way here. Figured I'd grab a little something from the vending machines," he explained, handing out a can to each of them. Ross put down his notebook and grabbed a can of lemonade. He didn't bother with the pull-tab but squeezed the can with enough force to blow the top off completely. He then quickly wolfed down the drink inside.

"Could you ever just take it easy on the food, Ross?" Diamond requested, half-chortling to himself as he took a can of cola and methodically screwed open the tab. He kept the tab with him after it came off; scrap metal could be used effectively in some way or another after it was molten down. He got up, took a small sip and let the taste roll on his tongue, before looking to Steele.

"Uh... do you mind?" he asked, shaking the can slightly. Steele rolled his eyes a little and let a small stream of ice shoot from his extended hand to Diamond's can, letting the drink cool off a bit. Diamond happily chugged down the rest of his drink without another word. As for himself, Steele preferred extra-chilled beverages. He let his free hand work magic on the can. The drink instantly turned as chilly as it would've been inside a meat locker with extra cooling, and Steele finally began consuming its contents. The sweet and slightly tangy, fruity taste of the juice let him feel peace, and the coolness of the drink relaxed his body.

Finally, Ross curiously inquired, "So, any luck with Ozpin?"

Sigbjorn thought about it for a moment. Steele observed Sigbjorn's right fist slowly curling up as if he was apprehensive about something. He then sighed and decided to tell them everything.

"So... what do you think?" Ross asked after Sigbjorn finished the entire narrative.

"Well, I think I want to stay. The way I see it, it's probably for the best if Ozpin's that serious about it," came the answer.

"Hmm..." Steele pondered after finishing his drink. Everybody had their eyes on him, and why wouldn't they, thought Ross. Steele was the smart, logical one. If anything, he could at least compare all the pros and cons of staying here, letting everyone else decide their take on this.

"Well, I think we could stay. As the good Headmaster said, it would be a great opportunity to learn from others and try to cooperate with them and to be honest, I don't think we've collaborated with other teams all that much. On the other hand, it puts a boundary on our freedom to travel. We must notify the teachers or even Ozpin himself to exit school parameters."

"Except if it's a weekend, like the time we went out with Team RWBY," stated Ross.

"Weapon lab's pretty neat too. And the students seem to know their stuff," Diamond said.

"What Diamond said. We will get to improve our skills... with supervision for once," Steele smiled, then remembered Ms.Goodwitch's stern stare and immediately considered whether that would really be a good idea, given that Ross and Sigbjorn had on one occasion dressed up and roamed around as ninjas at night... some things definitely had to change.

"What about you, Diamond?" Ross inquired, obviously attempting to consider everyone else's inputs to form his own opinion.

"Huh? Oh... I don't know," Diamond paused to think, "It's kind of nice here but at the same time--"

"IT'S THEM!!!!" a bubbly, high-pitched voice cut Diamond's statement short.

Steele turned around to see a group of students walking towards them. He recognised them as the students who had been watching them when they had battled Team CRDL.

"Hiya," waved Sigbjorn casually, noticing their genial smiles he quickly asked, "Have we met before?"

"Not as I recall," said a boy who reminded Sigbjorn of a lotus flower. He seemed to be wearing an all-green outfit with short black hair with a rogue pink/purple streak that seemed to scream at anyone who looked at it. He had the demeanour of one who wanted nothing more than to curl up into a good book and say nothing to the world.

Steele immediately recognized them as team JNPR; he had taken the liberty of going through all of the students' files the previous day.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, team JNPR," said he quite calmly. The whole lot of them seemed taken aback. Sigbjorn sighed and looked at Steele. Steele just understood that he came across as creepy and quickly replied with, "Ah, no need to worry... I know this because I've researched all of you on the Beacon mainframe," The atmosphere now seemed slightly uncomfortable.

Sigbjorn slapped his forehead and said in a weary and experienced tone, "Translation: Hello, I am socially awkward and to compensate for this I like to research and see what things we have in common to get along better. Do not worry I am not a creepy stalker."

Steele glared at Sigbjorn. He hated being patronized.

Ross then said, "Moving on from that unfortunate incident, I'm curious to know what you guys are doing here."

A redhead smiled at Sigbjorn and said "We'd like to congratulate you on your battle against Team CRDL, we enjoyed the fight very much. Team CRDL has been... somewhat of a menace here."

Sigbjorn smirked "Just doing my job, cleaning up society one thug at a time. But apart from Steele, the rest of us haven't looked you guys up. And since we are the "new ones", let us introduce ourselves."

"I'm Sigbjorn, leader and weapons specialist of Team SRDS, and that's Stardust and not Sardines," he joked, eliciting a few laughs, "My friends here are Diamond, stealth expert and bad comedian extraordinaire--"

"Hey, you take that back--!"

"Ross, resident pickup artist and, well, artist in general--"

Ross interjected with a big smile, "Especially with a sniper rifle!"

Sigbjorn continued, "And Steele, tactical genius and the social muppet of the team."

"'Muppet'," Steele grumbled.

"NORA!!" piped up a ginger-haired girl with such vigour that it nearly launched Diamond off the cliff. She was dressed in a collared black vest that ended at her waist, with two layers of clothing coloured red and light blue, with a pink skirt that started at waist level and ended at her mid-thighs. She also sported a sleeveless white top that formed a heart icon just below her collarbone. Her face was lit with a Cheshire-cat like grin which immediately caused Diamond to re-evaluate the definition of the term "ecstatic". On the back of her vest, an emblem was visible in the shape of a hammer with a thunderbolt in its head.

"My name is Lie Ren. It is an honour to meet you," said the boy in the green outfit. Ren bore an expressionless face, completely in contrast to his energetic friend.

"Pyrrha Nikos, delighted to make your acquaintance," replied the redhead with a warm smile. Her armour made it look like she had travelled aeons ahead in time during an ancient war. She legitimately looked combat-ready, though her behaviour was nowhere close to aggressive. Sigbjorn noticed that she had a shield behind her back, and a shield and spear emblem was visible on a plate which connected to a belt.

"Jaune Arc, I'm the leader of this team," the blonde spoke up, but his voice trailed off slightly and only Sigbjorn and Pyrrha could hear what he said next, "And yet the weakest link..." he looked a bit dejected as he finished. Sigbjorn noticed Pyrrha look at him with a look of concern, but she quickly turned away. Sigbjorn commented, "We all have weaknesses, but that's why there's the academy to help us out. You must be a very good leader to be appointed," Jaune smiled at him, with Pyrrha smiling behind his back.

"Anyways, the real reason why we arrived here was to welcome you guys!" Jaune stated enthusiastically.

Ross muttered to himself something about having way too many tours.

"Uh, you're kind of late to the party," Diamond paused to yawn, "But we appreciate the gesture. Nice sword, by the way," he finished, pointing at Crocea Mors, tactfully switching the subject to avoid dreary conversation.

"Eh? Oh, my grandfather gave me that. He fought with it in the war. I use it now. I can make it turn into a shield like so," said Jaune as the sides of the longsword extended, springing out to form a normal-shaped shield.

"Neat. I thought Steele and I were the only ones using the classics," Sigbjorn said, then frowned.

"That's odd... wouldn't the extra metal increase the weight and the blade would be weighted instead of the hilt, making the weapon imbalanced?"

Jaune stared at him as he was confused for a second.

"Oh, I get what you're saying," he said finally, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "It does feel a bit heavy, I guess... Even Ruby said something like that to me once..."

"The way I see it, there's more weight in the blade, so it increases the impulse," Steele remarked, then quickly explained, "By that I mean there's more force in your swing."

"So it's a sword-axe!" grinned Ross.

"Or a hammer!" spoke Nora triumphantly, pulling out her hammer, Magnhild. Ross noticed there was a small hole on the flat side of the hammer's head near the top. He wondered what its purpose was for a moment, then let it slide. Diamond suddenly felt a weird sensation inside his head. Something about the idea of being smacked with something as beastly as that did NOT appeal to his senses.

"Have you met with any of the other teams, at least? Maybe we could introduce you to them," Jaune asked hopefully.

"Hmm," Sigbjorn pondered, "Sure, I like that idea," as soon as he said that, Steele's face scrunched up. The reason Steele was not socially amiable was that he often noticed a lot of details that others tried to hide right in front of him, and they didn't want them revealed to other people, but Steele was quite a bit on the straightforward side. Once he started stating the facts, people got a bad idea. He got lucky when he exposed that Blake was a Faunus... Somehow, considering that luck hardly allured him.

"Um, I don't know about you, but it's nearly lunchtime, and I'm getting hungry." Ross trailed off.

"Ross, you're always hungry," Diamond smirked, making Jaune and Pyrrha laugh.

"That's okay. We can all have food together," suggested Pyrrha.

"But," Sigbjorn cut in, "you people don't owe us anything. You don't have to do this just to--"

"No buts, silly! Onward!" Nora interrupted and started marching away from the docking area, gesturing for the others to follow suit.

"Is... she always like that?" Diamond said softly to Jaune as they both fell into line at the rear.

"Hehe... she's nice and all if you get to know her and get used to the pancakes," came the reply.

"Pancakes?" wondered Diamond, but he was ignored.

"Just try not to get on her bad side... she tends to break people's legs if they consider doing anything even remotely stupid," Jaune warned with a nervous smile.

Diamond swallowed and made a mental note to himself to never piss off Nora.

On the way to the dining area, Sigbjorn's scroll beeped suddenly. He stopped to read the message, then glared at the top of the tower. Like he wanted to decimate whoever was in it.

"Is something wrong?" Pyrrha asked, concerned.

"Maybe. You guys can start without us," he replied. Taking another look at the message, Sigbjorn continued, "Looks like Ozpin wants to talk to us."

Team JNPR looked amongst themselves. This had to be pretty important.

"Uh, we'll be waiting for you at the mess hall then I guess," Jaune announced. "It's a bummer that we never actually saw anyone we know."

"Nah, we're cool because you guys seem cool," waved Ross as Team JNPR walked away.

All this while, Steele was pondering why Ozpin wanted to see them. A mission? A status report? Or something relating to their behaviour in the battle with CRDL? Maybe all three? With one glance at his team leader, Steele knew this was going to be unexpected and he had a feeling Sigbjorn knew what it was.

"Steele?"

A voice jolted him back to reality.

"Yes, Diamond?"

"You kind of spaced out... Sigbjorn and Ross ran off."

Sure enough, there was no sign of them anywhere. Steele sighed and looked at the fountain.

"Anyways..." Diamond said, breaking into a mischievous grin.

"Race you there!"

"Unfair, you have a head start!"

With that, the two sprinted off.


	16. The Storm Looms

_**Elevator shaft, Main Tower, Beacon Academy** _

Sigbjorn cursed under his breath as the elevator ascended. The weather had turned stormy. It wasn't time for the Vale Monsoons yet, but perhaps the Gods had decided to give the land a little respite from the heat. Little drops of drizzle made their way down the glass walls. He felt trapped, pacing around like a tiger in a cage.

He was going up to see Ozpin. All of them. He had no idea why Ozpin had called them. Maybe for another godforsaken mission. He could be wrong, but he liked to assume the worst. That way he would never get disappointed. And the fact that Steele had told him that it was the most probable course. When Steele put it that way... Sigbjorn couldn't read Steele's thoughts sometimes, let alone defy them. He knew his teammates, and either Steele didn't want to believe himself or he didn't want to trouble his leader... or even both.

There was also the fact that Sigbjorn had permanently opened a meterpreter shell on all of their comms devices. He had observed multiple emergency signals send to and fro between them. He didn't know what they were for, as they were not that dumb, but it was bad whatever it was.

Diamond had his palm facing towards the glass, gazing out towards the rain. He loved it when it rained, especially the refreshing smell of the earth. He willed his semblance to work, and from his palm shone a small, soft blue light. It illuminated the glass which it faced and the irregular droplets refracted it to make a satisfying pattern. He smiled, looking for a few more seconds at the shimmering pattern, then the colour died out and Diamond faced back towards the door.

When the doors opened, they were greeted by the familiar sight of Ozpin sitting there, holding his mug of coffee as always. A mere bystander would tell you that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Ozpin, that he was the cool, calm, collected Headmaster of Beacon Academy who knew what was best for the students and indeed for Remnant. Unfortunately, both Sigbjorn and Steele knew Ozpin better. There was a slight tension in the air. Steele noticed Ozpin had worry lines above his brow. Professor Glynda and a hologram of General Ironwood were also present.

"Please, do sit down," came Ozpin's voice from the table. Sigbjorn calmly walked to the table and sat down, Ross gave Ironwood a smart salute before Ironwood nodded in acknowledgement and... satisfaction? Ross couldn't be sure of it since he had already taken his seat.

"General, Ma'am, Professor," Diamond cheerfully acknowledged before taking his seat. He seemed ecstatic, but then again the idea of a mission never had failed to spark some amount of excitement in him, being the young one.

Steele still seemed to be sidetracking his glances towards the gears ticking and groaning both above and below them. Glynda noticed and attributed it to Steele's low latent inhibition. His eyeballs swivelled around at a frantic pace, his sclerae a panicky, white blur as his eyes darted from the gears to Ironwood's metallic arm to Glynda Goodwitch's glasses to Ozpin's mug of coffee.

"Mr Snow, I implore you to take a seat, there's nothing of any real importance in this room," stated Ms Goodwitch sternly, repeating Ozpin.

Mr Snow obliged, keeping his eyes on the container of beverage that wasn't steaming, with the froth at the top thickening to form an intricate pattern of reflective bubbles.

He opened his mouth to ask a question but Ozpin silenced him with a wave of his hand, and said,

"I'm going to tell you why I called you. You are here because you are one of the best teams currently in Beacon premises. You have already cleared and exceeded the courses of Signal Academy."

Ozpin's smile made its comeback as if he did it on purpose to irritate Sigbjorn, and Sigbjorn was nearly ashamed to say it was working.

"But being this good, you have become a victim of your success. We need you to investigate a... disturbance down in the streets of Vale. It's not dangerous."

Then why us? Sigbjorn cynically wondered to himself, though he suspected he knew the answer.

"That is, it's not very dangerous, as with all missions. Again, as with all missions, it is your choice to accept. Choose not to and we'll find a better, more equipped team."

Steele began laughing at Ozpin's wasted attempt, earning stares from Glynda and Ironwood and eliciting a smile from Ozpin.

"Pardon me, but I don't think you would mind if I showed this gathering how transparent your attempts to coerce us into this mission were. First off, if it's not "very dangerous", you wouldn't waste the time or the effort calling any of us up here, you have a plethora of students available, all with admirable track records."

"Secondly, you used the phrase "as with all missions" twice, I suspect to set our minds at ease. Calling the occurrence "a disturbance" with that slight hesitation immediately tells me it's going to be a lot more than any of us bargained for. And lastly... Headmaster, you might want to refresh your beverage. Sorry to keep you waiting, General, I believe that it was some time before you last sat, and Ma'am, your glasses are I must say, in spectacular positioning. You've corrected that about thirty seconds ago, implying you were bored to death. The General deserves a seat because he's been standing for the last fifteen minutes which is evident from the stiffness of his arm, and that is just enough time for that coffee to stop evaporating and it's our fault you didn't drink that coffee as implied by the froth."

Everyone, including Sigbjorn, Ross and Diamond were baffled. They didn't expect Steele to go into so much detail, but that was why Steele awed them so much, even if they didn't admit it all that often. Even if he revealed details like an LMG, it was still amazing that Steele could deduce so much, even if he was showing off.

Awesome, whispered Diamond to Steele, to which the latter responded by winking.

"If you wanted us to accept so badly just tell us the truth," Ross stated. Diamond nodded in agreement, chipping in, "I think I'm hurt."

Then Sigbjorn spoke up, "Your informant is missing and you need us to retrieve him. Plain and simple. There is also the fact that your scrolls have microphones, and this has allowed me to listen to all your conversations. You planning out your strategies to get us interested. I told my team in the elevator, that there was a specific reason for you to call us up like this. And of course, I knew it was a pressing matter. Next time, just tell us the truth. We risk our lives out there for you, the least we deserve is an honest answer.

Ozpin was surprised as he raised his brows. He expected them to be good, yes, but never this good. He turned to Glynda and saw that she was trying to regain control of her scroll.

"Alright. You have yourselves a deal. No more lies," Ozpin said. The holograph of Ironwood frowned and glared at Ozpin, but Ozpin dismissed it with a wave of his hand. To Ironwood, secrecy was a core part of the mission Ozpin had. Lose secrecy, and you lose control, he believed. He reasoned with himself that SRDS was trustworthy enough to know fully of details regarding their mission. Nothing more and nothing less.

Ozpin's smile didn't fade, though. That was a red flag for the team of young Huntsmen. He knew something that would result in a lot of cringing.

"Impressive indeed, Mr Phoenix. Yes, it is about a missing informant. We already have a team on their way to search for clues around his last known location. It seems your confidence in your team's abilities were justified," Ozpin spoke finally.

Diamond grinned and was about to say something when Ozpin interrupted him, causing him to roll his eyes.

"In terms of individual skill, at least. General Ironwood and I took the liberty of going through some video files that captured your performance as a team. I must say, the results are... interesting. This one was taken about four years ago."

The air above the desk lit up and instantly, a video of the team's grouped efforts began playing.

It wasn't a sight to marvel at.

Ross is fending off a large number of White Fang from the catwalk, while Diamond is trying to laser through a locked door.

"Diamond! Pass me the launcher!"

" 'Focus on the door and only the door, Diamond. I don't want your attention anywhere else, or you'll ruin the mission.'"

"I need your help right now!

"Ohh, so NOW you want me to help you out?!"

"Diamond, just do it already!"

"The great lord Ross asks for my assistance! I am honoured and will savour this and hand it to him in the most magnificent manner! This shall go down in history as my defining moment!"

Diamond bends down slowly onto one knee and picks up the rocket launcher with both hands.

"DIAMOND, HURRY UP!"

"O heavenly warrior, I present to thee the same divine weapon thou art in need of wie-- OH SHIT, JUMP!"

A burst of LMG rounds are fired at the catwalk and both of them come crashing down. The camera falls as well and the video cuts.

Diamond and Ross had no expression on their faces. Except for perhaps embarrassment. Ross slowly turned towards Diamond.

"I, uh, ahem... was busy--" Diamond offered.

"Busy?" demanded Ross.

"Trying to get the door open... and then you interrupted me..." Diamond tried to mount a defence.

""The same divine weapon thou art in need of wielding?"" Ross grilled on.

Diamond was effectively quietened.

"This was taken one year ago," said Ozpin.

Steele is fending off Grimm with his sword and calls to Sigbjorn for help.

Sigbjorn is busy playing PUBG on his phone.

"I could use some help!"

"I'll be there! Just this one last match!"

"PAUSE IT AND HELP ME!"

"Wait up, I'll be there in a minute. Online matches can't be paused."

A Boarbatusk barrels into the screen and breaks it. Sigbjorn turns around.

"Did you just interrupt my Game? I WAS GONNA WIN FOR SURE! THAT'S IT *****. YOUR TIME HAS COME. SAY YOUR PRAYERS NOW *********. RUSH B CYKAAAAAA BLYAAAAATTTTT."

Sigbjorn tears into the Grimm and kills every last one of them, then goes back to playing the shooter, oblivious to the fact there are more Grimm approaching the village. Steele falls in defeat.

"I handled it in the end," Steele tried his best to salvage the situation and simultaneously not glare at Sigbjorn.

"Idi nahui", shrugged Sigbjorn.

"What was that?" asked Glynda with a deadly serious face.

"CRAP, SHE'S BILINGUAL!" screamed Sigbjorn with terror in his voice, "BL...in... Hehe, Blin. I was saying I miss the Blin back in Atlas."

Glynda Goodwitch was having a hard time keeping a straight face with Sigbjorn's behaviour and the following video, taken from the very first mission of Team SRDS.

"STEELE!"

"STEELE!"

"STEELE LISTEN UP!"

"THIS BETTER BE IMPORTANT!"

"Red Team or Blue Team?"

Steele barely turns to Sigbjorn, freezing him on the spot, then going off-screen. A group of White Fang grunts surround him.

"Freeze!"

"I want you to think carefully about what I'm doing right now."

The video is fast-forwarded, and Sigbjorn the ice sculpture takes five hours to melt. He then dispatches the grunts, now playing cards.

"Those were the longest five hours of my life," Sigbjorn exclaimed exasperatedly, "I had the worst case of cold for weeks!"

"Ice is cold," agreed Ross, nodding with the expression of an intellectual who had spent years gaining knowledge in the depths of ancient libraries.

"That was the nitrogen I liquefied in the air around him," Steele tried to contain his laughter.

"Maybe that's why you hang around Weiss so much," smirked Diamond, "Good job, Steele."

Another video played.

"HOLY SHIT! That's the new Paladin prototype!"

"Not. Now. Diamond. We're on a mission."

"But it looks so cool and epic and dramatic and I wonder if we can steal it and cool and epic and did I say dramatic this is sooooo nice it looks so cool and epic and dramatic I wonder how many pilots it can have it looks so cool and--"

"Diamond, we are on. A MISSION."

"I'M NOT LEAVING."

"Are too."

"Make me."

Sigbjorn kicks Diamond in the back and drags him by the collar of his jacket as Diamond struggles to get on his feet.

"NO! NO, THIS WASN'T MEANT TO BE! I LOVE YOU, PALADIN! DO SOMETHING!"

Sigbjorn blows up the Paladin by summoning a giant Goliath and using it to attack it.

"Say Paladin AGAIN! I dare you! I double dare you!"

The camera zooms in on Paladin, 'How could this happen to me? I've made my mistakes...'

"Cut it out!" yelped Diamond to Sigbjorn who was using his Semblance to zoom in on the burning wreckage and edit the file.

"Do you want me to do that again?" Sigbjorn asked in response to Diamond's remark about Weiss.

"JEREMY-- I mean... the mech didn't deserve it, you sadist!.

"Jeremy?" Steele asked in a questioning tone that implied he was about to laugh at any second.

"None of your business!" Diamond lashed out, then spoke in a low voice, "His full name was Jeremiah..."

"Diamond. It was a machine," Steele attempted to help his partner, though his gut instinct told him this was silly.

"It was my friend..." Diamond defended while nearly shedding a tear, not realising that he wasn't helping himself.

Sigbjorn cleared his throat, and all the attention of the room was on him.

"Why are we being shown these?"

"While it seems that you have grown as individuals, one of the most important parts of being a Huntsman are gelling together and cooperating with your team," Ozpin explained, then continued further, "I know you all have developed in all these years, but ponder over this for a minute. How many times, since then, has Steele come up with strategies which you have dismissed as too risky, Sigbjorn? How much do you agree with Diamond when it comes to saving lives, but failing the objective, Steele? And Ross, do you share the same stance as your partner and leader on higher authorities?"

Sigbjorn wanted to argue, but he realised that what Ozpin had said was correct. He didn't want to admit it because his teammates were all like brothers to him and he would do anything to protect them, but he was forced to shove the truth into his mind. Ozpin was rarely wrong about these matters. He just crossed his arms and glared at the grey-haired man sitting across the table.

Nobody said anything, but Ozpin's words affected them. Steele looked at Diamond questioningly, who leaned back a bit in his chair, turning towards the gears above him, clearly not wanting to communicate. Ross looked at Sigbjorn, arms crossed, eyes blazing. Ross' own eyes shifted towards the floor. Steele shook his head in disappointment, sighed and steepled his fingers.

"Great job, Professor Ozpin. I think this really helped," Diamond spoke sarcastically.

Ozpin smiled, "Please understand that I am not trying to undermine any of your capabilities or motivations. But I need to ensure that you are guided well onto the right path, and that begins by highlighting areas of improvement. If you do wish to work on your teamwork, Beacon is a place where these facilities can be provided. There are people you can learn from. Your teachers and your friends. Team RWBY knows how to coordinate splendidly, though they have had their differences in the past. They may not seem like much at first, especially given their lack of experience on missions when compared to yourself, but they are one of the most skilled teams, if not the most skilled first-year team at Beacon," Ozpin said.

The team looked at each other, silently acknowledging the statement amongst themselves.

"I am afraid that we are going to take some more time to mull over the entire 'Beacon' thing, but it'll be less than a week before we let you know."

With that, Sigbjorn rose, followed by the rest of the team.

"The mission, however, we accept."

Sigbjorn whistled walking down to the elevator his fingers spinning the Kubaton keychain in his hand. Diamond turned invisible and strolled out. Ross briskly walked out, his heart rising with each step. He wouldn't lie, he was excited about a new mission. Beacon was nice and all but he longed for the taste of adventure, the thrill of the chase, the blood rushing through his veins. Steele quietly slipped out, noting the clenching of the teeth, the slight repositioning of the glasses and the furious tapping. He turned to Glynda and said. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Try to get past his firewalls and his countermeasures might break your entire system. Don't try it. Trust me, it's not a risk you want to take," said Mr Snow as the elevator doors slid shut and the descended to the ground floor.

* * *

_**The mess hall** _

"What took you guys so long?" Jaune asked confusedly.

Sigbjorn shook his head to dismiss Team JNPR's concern. The dining area was more crowded than the last time they were here. There was no sign of Team CRDL or Team RWBY.

"Just a little chat with the Headmaster," he replied to Jaune, taking a seat on the adjacent bench.

"Ozpin?" Nora asked. Her voice was different, a higher pitch, and there was a skyscraper of pancakes on her plate, laden with juicy maple syrup dripping down its sides, "Are you guys in trouble?"

"Well, no. I'm actually surprised," Diamond replied, sitting opposite Sigbjorn. Ross sat next to Diamond and Steele next to Sigbjorn, carefully placing four plates with the same food items. A healthy, nutritional lunch. Sigbjorn grimaced. Steele appeared to have no taste sometimes. The creamy, sweet doughiness of cheese did not appeal to him at all. Unhealthy, granted, but SOOOOOOOOO worth it.

Diamond was cutting up his salmon into nice, fine portions. Ross was tearing through his chicken like it was made of wet paper.

Jaune impatiently drummed the table with his fingers, looking around.

"Searching for someone?" Steele asked him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just seeing if I could find Team RWBY. They're nice people too."

"Oh," Steele spoke, "Agreed."

"Wait, you've met them?" Nora asked quizzically.

"Yeah," Diamond replied.

"You know them too, then?" Sigbjorn asked.

"Well, yes. But Jaune, they're out on a training assignment in the Emerald Forest," Pyrrha responded.

"Emerald forest?" Steele wondered, "Isn't that the one filled with Grimm?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Jaune replied. He shuddered at the bad memory of it. The entrance exam he had nearly failed. If not for Pyrrha and the rest of his team, he would be dead then and there.

"Why are they in a Grimm-infested forest? I get that this is a school for training Huntsmen and Huntresses, but in this kind of weather isn't it less than ideal?" Sigbjorn trailed off, expecting an answer. He noticed Diamond placing his eating utensils next to his plate, still containing food. Sigbjorn frowned. Was it the Grimm getting to his friend or the thought of someone getting hurt?

But Diamond was, in fact, picking something up. Distortions. Chatter. Fluctuations in the airwaves in the 'criminal band', as he so called that frequency as only goons used this type of transmission to communicate.

"I mean, Ozpin did launch us into the forest on our first friggin' day..." Nora spoke open-endedly.

"They were asked by Headmaster Ozpin to gather some information on the last known location of someone," Ren elaborated, "I think he was going to say the word 'informant'."

Lightning made its way in through a window in the side of the building, illuminating Team SRDS' shocked faces. Thunder roared through the skies shortly after.

"'Another team', huh Ozpin?" Sigbjorn spoke slowly through grit teeth, so no one heard him.

A long silence ensued. Diamond calmly resumed eating. He told himself that it was a false alarm and that he was only getting spooked by the weather. His logic countered with the fact that he never got spooked by the weather. His brain was convinced at the possibility of the radio distortion being caused due to the lightning. His gut wasn't. It screamed to him that something was fishy, and Diamond knew it wasn't a reference to his meal.

"What's the play chief?" he asked looking at Sigbjorn. He could already gauge the answer.

"We find team RWBY and make sure they aren't hurt. Then if we have time, we find Ozpin's informant. Remember team RWBY is primary. I don't give two shits if Ozpin's informant is down."

Ross hungrily stuffed the rest of his chicken into his mouth. Steele sighed and looked dejected. Diamond turned his head to get a second helping of tartar sauce. Sigbjorn noticed Diamond panic and turned to pick a knife out of the air just before it hit his neck. It was black, made out of some sort of glass. A purple-green liquid sloshed around inside. Sigbjorn's red eyes darted quickly amongst the crowd of students, who were all completely indifferent. That dagger was thrown with unnerving precision to not alert the crowd. Sigbjorn scanned the door, but no one was entering or exiting. Whoever was there was no rookie, and they were long gone.

He didn't know where it came from, but that query was put to rest as soon as Diamond said, "A White Fang assassin, I found her energy signature because she carried a small tracker that emits microwaves on the C band. I should've guessed something was up but I thought it was just the lightning," he shook his head, "It won't happen again."

"I've launched my rootkit on the only device with the required data for that line of business," Sigbjorn opened up his scroll. He didn't bother using his fingers, his mind navigated to the exact page he wanted in a span of half a second. As he said, they were in her Scroll. She was en route to the Emerald Forest. Sigbjorn cursed and quickly opened up her messages and recorded conversations. He didn't bother playing them on the device. He simply absorbed data and allowed his Semblance to decode it inside his head. There were many conversations with different numbers, but the last three digits were ALWAYS the same: 537

"What do you need me to do?"

"Ah, Jade. Right on time. I'm going to cut this short; The White Fang want me to coordinate their little shock and awe operation for their public campaign."

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with the White Fang."

"I didn't. But this is bigger. There is only one reason that I'm doing this. ANY of this."

"I see. This is personal then."

A picture was sent to her.

"Weiss Schnee. Alive."

"Does this mean I stop monitoring SRDS?"

"Momentarily. According to your reports, Sigbjorn has grown close to Weiss, hasn't he?"

"Yes."

"Then the purpose of my mission isn't lost. You're going to disable him then, send him my greetings. Try for a crowded area. I'll meet you at the Emerald Forest, where our target is going to be heading."

"Understood."

Sigbjorn crushed the glass knife, filled with poison, with his bare hands. Aura protected him from any cuts the poison might seep into.

"Dammit! Team RWBY is in danger!"

"It's okay. I have full confidence in Team RWBY's abilities. They can handle themselves against a White Fang assassin," Pyrrha replied with a reassuring smile.

"I have faith in you, Pyrrha, you seem like you know your stuff. But this 'assassin' isn't with the White Fang. She's far more dangerous than anything we've seen from them. And she isn't alone."

"What do you mean?" Ross inquired.

"I'll explain in a bit. Jaune, we don't know how big the threat is, so--"

"We're ready to help," Jaune stated, cutting Sigbjorn off.

"Thanks. We need you and your team to stay here. In case we send an SOS message, notify Ozpin and try to make your way to our location. Can you do that for me?"

"Aww, I wanted to break some legs!" Nora groaned in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, but... I want as fewer people involved as possible. Just... Please, you have to trust me," Sigbjorn requested in earnest.

"It's okay. I understand," Pyrrha assured.

"Just explain whatever's happening to us by the end of it, alright?" Jaune requested.

"Thanks, Jaune. I will," Sigbjorn nodded at him and Pyrrha, "Later, JNPR," he waved and headed for the exit.

"Um, Sigbjorn?"

"Yeah?"

"About earlier... You said she wasn't alone. What did you mean by that?"

Sigbjorn stopped in his tracks.

"The same reason I said I want as fewer people involved as possible."

He then looked gravely at his team and said the name of the perpetrator.

* * *

"Silver Cerulean."

Silver turned around to see a man with orange hair walk up to him. He had a bowler hat on, with a cane and a white jacket and black pants and shoes. His orange hair, slick due to the rain that had evolved from a drizzle, covered the right side of his face, and only his mellow green left eye was visible. It seemed to be smirking at him.

"As truly honoured as I am, I was just wondering why my employer sent me here to you."

"Roman Torchwick," Silver regarded him with a curt nod. His expression was obscured due to his face mask and his shades covered his eyes. A black fedora with grey lining covered his head. His marksman rifle was slung across the back of his grey camouflage jacket. His fingers resting on the sides of his dark trousers. While Roman would boldly strike anyone with his charisma as the 'smooth criminal with a fashion sense' to make him stand out, Silver seemed like he didn't care about these things. He always had an air of negativity around him. His black shades always made him appear angry as if actively seeking vengeance against someone for murdering his family.

Silver was no less of a rising legend in the underworld. He'd appeared out of the blue one and a half years ago. All anyone knew about him back then was that he was a bounty hunter for hire. Any job. His terms. As Silver's services became more and more successful, and more and more heard of, some criminals claimed that he was a Huntsman gone rogue. In one night, all 57 of them were found murdered at different locations, putting an end to this game of whisper. No one had the guts to speak of him after that. Silver had then been approached by the White Fang. That alone defined his skill.

"You don't want the answer to that question. For now, you and I are the people that the White Fang has sent to scout out our prey. But so that we're clear, you take orders from me."

Roman was contempt. Silver, for all his skills, was still younger than Roman. Roman laughed aloud when Silver finished, earning himself a glare.

"Kid, I'm not going to take orders from you. My employer is someone who KNOWS how to criminal. And so am I. You're just new on the block," Roman smirked.

"Your employer doesn't think you're worth your money, seeing as you were taught a lesson by mere children."

Though Silver spoke nonchalantly, the words were shot at Roman like a mortar shell. He winced a bit at being reminded of his failure. Silver stepped up to him. Though he was a bit shorter than Roman himself, Roman felt slightly intimidated. Under his mask, Silver let out a small smile.

"We're going to be facing the same children. This time, I sincerely hope you don't turn and run off... again. It's a long way out of these woods, and I am informed that one of them has a Speed semblance. Trust me when I say this... those are bad odds."

Roman grit his teeth. So, Little Red and Co. were here. He remembered them stopping him at the Dust shipment heist last week at the docks in Vale. This could be a solid chance for payback.

As if he could read thoughts, Silver spoke up, "Use your brains. Don't let revenge cloud your judgement. We're here for only one objective: Weiss Schnee. And we need her alive."

Roman replied with, "You don't know the first thing about revenge then, kid."

Silver squinted, then spoke, "Then you don't know the first thing about me."

The two glared at each other, sparks nearly flying between their eyes like the lightning in the clouds. The tension was tangible but broken as Roman smiled.

"I think we're going to go along just great, kid."

Silver nodded. He hoped so, too, at least for this mission. Adam had told him that he and Roman would be working together from now. First missions were always important. Word travelled fast in Remnant, but it was often reaching Roman's ears before anyone else's. His Dust and information network had even Silver himself beat. If he ever needed help, Roman, despite his garrulous attitude, would be ideal.

"Tell me something, as a co-worker," Roman persisted out of the blue with a mischievous grin. Silver rolled his eyes behind his glasses and turned to face Roman as he lit up a cigar and placed it between his lips. Silver frowned as the cigar burned despite the rain pouring down.

"I've heard the rumours," his speech slightly muffled due to the cigar, "Were you actually a Huntsman?"

Silver looked away and said nothing as if expecting someone. But his silence was enough for Roman to find an answer. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh, Great Oum! Who ever knew that even Huntsmen could tur--"

Silver growled and twirled a kunai in his hand. A clear threat. He did NOT want to talk about it. Roman noticed the warning and shut up, but not before letting out a small chuckle.

"Wouldn't be the first time," he muttered to himself.

"Kid, listen up. Whatever it was, you're part of the underworld now. And since my employer," Roman put some strain on the last word, not wanting to take her real name, "has decided to make the two of us cooperate, I think we should do as per the mission goes. You stop trying to intimidate me, and I'll do as you say."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Silver responded, his shades glaring at the woods around them. He then heard the sounds of leaves rustling in the trees. Roman did too and pointed his cane towards the source of the noise. A crosshair sight flipped up.

"Relax, Roman," said Silver, putting a hand on the cane's handle. Lowering it gently, he explained, "It's an ally."

Jade Ivy jumped down from the canopy level onto the forest floor. Dressed in a loose purple jacket and green shorts that covered her upper thighs, she completed two rolls before kneeling and getting on her feet, which had on white shoes. She had tanned skin and long dark purple hair that covered part of her face before falling to her waist. Her bright eyes were amethyst in colour. Her face bore a look of serious disappointment as if she had let a huge opportunity pass.

"Jade," Silver turned to her. She nearly flinched instantaneously. She didn't know how Silver would react to the failed attempt, so she decided to stay quiet. However, Silver asked her the question she had been fearing ever since she started for the Emerald Forest.

"Did you complete the assignment?"

Jade breathed out her anxiety, then finally shook her head. No. She had failed.

"They were together. I would've got him if one of them hadn't warned him."

Silver looked down at the ground and clenched his fists. So Sigbjorn was still alive. That infinitely complicated things, but the probability of Jade managing to get Sigbjorn as he had instructed was 1 in 37. He wasn't satisfied with those odds, but any other plan would have drawn too much attention. He shook his head.

"That's a complication," Silver said. However loyal Jade was to him, he wasn't going to lie to her face by telling her it was fine when it was anything but fine. She'd sense it.

Back to the matter at hand, they had approximately a 17-minute window before Video Fury himself came to destroy Silver.

"Did you break and dispose of your scroll as I instructed you to?" Silver inquired. Jade responded with a small nod. Good. At least they couldn't track their live location anymore, even though Team SRDS may know their general area.

17 minutes, he assumed, was all he needed to grab Weiss and get the hell out. Constraining, but not if he used each second wisely. He could then take leverage of the fact that Weiss and Sigbjorn were close. Classic blackmail. He smiled to himself as he considered the probabilities. Each one in 5 seconds. Not exactly ideal, but far from bad.

"Uh, what the hell are we talking about?!" Roman demanded. Jade had completely ignored him until now.

"Team SRDS is another experienced Team of Huntsmen," Jade explained in brief. Silver decided to lay out the strategy before any more questions were asked.

"Let's get the plan rounded up. We have 16 minutes and 40 seconds before Team SRDS arrives and we lose our edge. Roman, stick with the White Fang contingent and get to work on locating Weiss. You should be able to track her location due to a program Jade installed in her scroll. Go now, and we need her alive. I'll join you shortly."

"Adieu," Roman turned and started walking to where the soldiers were concealed in the woods, twirling his cane in his hand, then throwing it up in the air before catching it in a firm grip.

"I'll help you distract the other two team members. They are in pairs, yes?"

Jade smiled and nodded. They were going after students, so she thought this was going to be easy.

Silver pulled out his marksman rifle, the same one he had used a few days ago when he was tracking Team SRDS in Atlas. It had a slate blue camouflage with streaks of red and a red ACOG sight with a skull design.

"Let's get to work then."

Jade leapt high and disappeared into the trees at canopy level. Silver scurried off into the woods in the same direction. Directly towards two Huntresses searching for clues regarding a missing person.


	17. Rudely Interrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Blake are looking for clues left behind by an informant when they are ambushed by Jade and Silver.

**_ Emerald Forest, Near Beacon Academy _ **

Blake stood up, holding a scorched blue shirt in her hand. She winced a little bit. It had ugly, crimson bloodstains near the holes. Almost as if the cloth itself was crying, especially the claw marks on the sleeves. Those were gruesomely dark. Someone, or something, had cut deep and burned deep. She looked down at the ground in front of her, from where she had picked up the miserably tattered cloth. More blood. Someone had been brutally interrogated here. She looked around the makeshift shack she was in. She and Ruby had found it a while ago while looking for clues in the forest.

The installation was crudely and clumsily set up. There were signs of incomplete construction everywhere. There were little to no amenities, just a pit in the ground in which rainwater was gathered. It was overflowing now as the rain bore down hard on them. The mixture of water and the red earth made it look like the crater was filled with the blood from the owner of the item she held loosely in her right hand.

She walked out, covering her face with her free palm briefly to give herself time to get accustomed to the rain and wind slamming into her, soaking her already dripping clothes, which were earlier satisfied with a little respite in the shredded shelter.

She removed her palm to see her team leader pointing Crescent Rose towards the edge of the clearing in its rifle form. As Blake called out, Ruby jogged up to her, though it was a short distance, which was why she hadn't used her Semblance. She wore a look of discomfort on her face, akin to Blake's. She had her hood on, so Blake could only discern her expression when she came close. The small smile on her face grew a little wider as she acknowledged her fellow teammate. It had never left, despite the unkind weather, since Ozpin had essentially given the team their first mission. Blake would have smiled a bit in return if not for the implications of what she found.

"Did you find anything?" Ruby asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

Blake held up the tattered cloth for Ruby to see. Her face fell markedly upon seeing its grim state. "Oh," she replied.

"The least we can say is either he's injured or dead," Blake responded, conforming to the mission at hand. No need to worry about the state of the informant. Ruby nodded slowly.

"Right," she responded warily.

"But there's nothing else in there. No tools. Just enough to say that whoever was here left recently."

Ruby adopted a thoughtful look.

"Maybe the Grimm spooked them?"

"They would've panicked and left something behind in that case. Either way, there's no point in trying to search the forest for them. It could take weeks, all for nothing."

"Right," Ruby replied, "Maybe Yang and Weiss had better luck."

"Or worse. This doesn't look good."

"It doesn't," agreed Ruby, "but I have faith in them. We'll find something or the other."

Blake didn't know how to respond to that, so she held her counsel. They both stood in the rain for some time.

"We should get back to the rendezvous point. There's nothing to be salvaged here," Blake suggested. Ruby thought about it. They would be closer to Yang and Weiss from there than from here. Also, it would make things quicker in case the two were already on their way. For some reason, the radio communications here weren't very good, so they had decided to set one point to return to after they split up to cover more ground.

Ruby nodded to Blake and a smooth, deep voice spoke up, "Please don't."

Ruby and Blake turned around to see a figure holding a slate blue and red camoed marksman rifle, which had a sling. Its muzzle was pointed toward the ground.

"I've gone through a lot to set this up, so I'd much rather ambush you here," Silver continued, raising his weapon to point it at the duo.

Blake grit her teeth.

"You're the one who's responsible for this, aren't you?!" Ruby inquired as Crescent Rose transformed into its scythe form.

"Technically speaking, no. It was the informant himself. He wouldn't give us what we wanted. We did ask nicely. As I'm going to do now. Drop your weapons and stay here. I promise no harm will befall you."

Neither Ruby nor Blake complied, rushing towards Silver. Ruby activated her Semblance, leaving rose petals in her wake. But even before she did that, Silver fluidly pulled out his kunai and flung it towards the mahogany tree to his right without even turning. The knife caught Ruby's cloak as she accelerated towards him, shattering through the bark and piercing the stump. Ruby faltered and the scythe went flying out of her grip.

She was shocked. _How the heck did he do that?!_

"Amateurs," Silver complained to himself, turning to see Blake Belladonna flying towards him, her leg aiming for his lower jaw.

Silver smiled wryly. Someone less reckless.

He faced forward, completely ignoring the figure zooming towards him from the left and fired thrice with his rifle. Blake appeared seemingly out of nowhere and used Gambol Shroud to deflect the volley as the mirage headed towards Silver simply vanished into a shadow, the kick just a few inches from his face. Outside, she seemed unshaken, but inside she was stunned. How did he know it was a clone?

"Beacon Academy has all sorts of interesting information about students," Silver marvelled, chuckling slowly to himself.

Blake's eyes widened. He had access to Beacon's records.

Blake charged at him, firing her weapon in its gun form. Silver leaned left, letting the bullets sail past him. Hearing a grunt from his right, Silver turned to see his knife flying straight to his face.

Time slowed for a split second. Silver acknowledged the fact that the girl in the cloak had got him unaware, but dismissing it quickly he noticed the dagger was somersaulting through the air, but at a slow rate. The hilt would be facing him by the time it reached him.

Time resumed and Silver's cold fingers wrapped around the hilt as he turned his body and let his arm carry its momentum to his left, the blade clashing with Gambol Shroud and completely warding off Blake's surprise attack.

"Thanks for the knife. I had a feeling I would need it back sooner or later," Silver mocked.

Blake jumped back some distance then circled clockwise, approaching her team leader and giving her back the scythe.

"How is he doing that?!" Ruby questioned.

"I don't know," Blake responded.

"All is probable. That's how," Silver replied.

Blake perceived a leaf fall to the ground alongside the rain. No one else would've noticed, but Blake had night-vision owing to her Faunus traits, and those ears weren't just for show. She picked up rustling in the trees above as the leaves near the source of the sound moved.

Blake jumped towards it and slashed down with Gambol Shroud, launching a spin kick at the same time in midair. She heard a sound like glass shattering, then her foot made contact with a pair of arms in a parallel block. Her attacker landed on the ground, then backflipped next to where Silver was standing. She had a smug expression on her face, nodding towards Blake as if saying, Not bad.

"Who are you people?" Ruby inquired.

"Don't expect us to tell you so easily," Jade responded, two of her poison daggers in her hand, adopting a fighting stance. A few more daggers arose from her backpack. Silver slung his rifle behind his back once again. He expected close combat to follow soon. He held his kunai with the blade pointing down towards the ground like a fang.

"I'm still holding up my previous offer. Stay here and I promise nothing will happen to you," spoke Silver.

For a second, Ruby was unsure what to do. She didn't want to take on two unknown combatants without a reason, but at the same time why would they be pinning them here?

Blake held the answer to that question.

"You're trying to target Weiss and Yang!" she reasoned.

"Half correct. The Heiress, yes. We plan to kidnap her. The blonde, we don't care what happens to her. Her best interests are to not take part in this at all. As are yours," he tried to persuade them. This was wasting time, and Silver and Jade had lost their edge. For all they knew, these students were trained to be fighters since they were young. Which in reality they were. Ruby had her father, Yang and her uncle Qrow training her. Blake used to be an esteemed member of the White Fang and Adam's right hand.

"There's no way I'm letting you people harm my partner or my sister! I don't care if you think you're better than us, Team RWBY never gives up!"

"Seconded," Blake nodded in approval.

Silver just shook his head, then looked at Ruby.

"And that's where you will falter. I've asked you to leave twice. Whatever happens now... you'll be responsible for it."

Silver ran while facing Ruby and Jade ran at Blake. The two Beacon students readied themselves for close combat, holding their ground. At the last second, when it seemed that the opponents would certainly clash, Silver and Jade switched targets. Silver veered right, towards Blake as Jade cut left behind him, simultaneously launching three daggers at Ruby, which the scythe-wielder destroyed with three well-placed .50 calibre bullets.

Jade kept on distracting Ruby with her daggers approaching the scythe-wielder from every direction.

"You fight well," Jade smiled menacingly as Ruby destroyed every dagger in sight, but Jade stepped in close and kicked Ruby in the shin, using Crescent Rose against its owner to pin them to the ground

"But not good enough."

Jade fished out a small hypodermic needle, giggling a bit as she did, her glances darting fluidly between Ruby's neck and the tip of the needle. She seemed delighted at the idea of using her concoction.

"It's a sample I created myself, using my Semblance. A haemotoxin. It targets your blood cells. And you know the best part? Your Aura is useless against it."

Ruby was terrified not because of what Jade was telling her, but how her attacker's eyes widened madly in her description. And despite all her struggles, Jade was strong enough to keep Ruby pinned. She prayed that Crescent Rose wasn't out of ammo, to throw Jade off using the recoil. But apparently, no one listened. All that the rifle could do was choke out a small click.

Jade smiled even more broadly, raising her arm, about to bring down the syringe, when her arm froze in midair. She struggled to move it, but to no avail.

"You know, I hate hurting pretty girls," a voice could be heard, "but in this case, I'd like to make an exception!"

Jade winced in agony as her arm was twisted and she dropped the syringe. Diamond uncloaked himself. His free arm was completely black; a sign that meant he had been absorbing all the light energy incident on his arm. He proceeded to punch Jade in the cheek with enough force to send her to Silver a few feet away, landing on her back.

"You girls could use some help," Diamond winked and assisted Ruby onto her feet.

Silver was about to dodge a strike from Blake but then realised his feet wouldn't move, allowing Blake to hit him with a Gravity Dust round, sending him staggering backwards. He looked down to see the ground around him and Jade slowly being covered in a blanket of ice which had held down his feet.

"Silver!" Steele called out, holding Predator in crossbow form. His golden eyes were locked onto Silver's shades. Even Silver had to admit; he didn't see this one coming, but he had prepared for Steele's arrival.

Silver faced the archer in the white trench coat, "Really? This one's textbook, Steele. I can't believe you thought it would be enough."

"And yet it caught you off-guard, despite your so-called 'textbook'. Sorry, but I think that worked splendidly," Steele mused, making Silver frown in frustration.

"What do you even want with a Beacon team, anyway? Maybe you need a refresher course on fighting," Steele mocked with a nonchalant smile.

"I am confident in my abilities. You're going to find out just why," Silver challenged, pointing his sword in their direction.

Ruby frowned. This was unwarranted. Something about the way they communicated was strange. Almost like...

"Do you know each other?!" Ruby asked Diamond with a shocked expression.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll inform you in due time. Isn't that right, Diamond?" Silver smirked.

Diamond knew exactly what Silver was doing, trying to create tension among his opponents. He needed to defuse this right now, so he turned to Ruby and Blake, "It's a long story which you can hear later. Right now we need to focus on taking them down," Diamond drew Pepper from its holster as all three of his allies nodded in agreement.

Silver huffed, "Pity, pity. I thought we'd run into some exposition now, but you had to make things boring."

"Says the one wearing the cheap fedora," was Diamond's response.

Steele took a breath, feeling the rain on his skin, the sound of the leaves, the trees, his allies' Aura, Silver and Jade getting ready for a fight. Questions nagged at him, Why was Silver here? Who was the girl fighting alongside him? Where were Weiss and Yang? Steele shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. Combat would follow, and he knew it. From Silver's body language, the way he gripped his weapon, how his feet dug into the soil. He stared hard at Silver's mask. His opponent was unreadable. What mattered now, or in any combat, was a strategy. Steele knew he had numbers and hence, Silver would be on the defensive. Two-vs-one would be enough to subdue the duo, provided they didn't retreat and he played his cards _just_ right.

Steele had spotted Jade's glass daggers before their intervention, identifying them as the ones in the cafeteria. He didn't know her skills, but he knew Diamond's. Trash-talk and invisibility would be a perfect distraction... someone would need to neutralise the daggers as they were a viable threat. Ruby could take them from range, her speed semblance would allow her to 'hit and run' perfectly in case the daggers got too close. That left Silver. With his semblance, it would nearly be futile to develop a plan before the fight started, but by force of habit, Steele had some barebone ideas sketched out already.

All he needed to do was begin.

* * *

**_ Near Weiss and Yang _ **

Sigbjorn was convinced that this attack was entirely personal. Maybe a little bit strategic. Had Silver been spying on them? For how long?

He sighed as the most potent question appeared: Silver would never forgive him, would he?

He shook his head and prioritised his thoughts. He and Ross had to get to Weiss before the enemy did. He did not doubt her abilities, he just knew that they would send as many heavy hitters as they have to make sure the job was done. She was an heiress after all.

He reached a clearing noting that Ross had been strangely quiet the entire time. He assumed that Ross was planning out his fight strategies. Yang and Ross did seem close, making this a personal attack on all of them.

If anything, it didn't take Ross long. Ross wasn't very thorough with his plans, restricting himself to the basics: See enemy, attack the enemy, defend, look out for teammates, kill or subdue enemy depending on the mission. All of which Sigbjorn was fine with, seeing that it worked quite well for his teammate. As for himself, he thought objectively save when it came to his team and allies. Complete objective A. Move on to B. Then C... and do whatever it takes.

He quickly rezzed into full body armour. Since his hard light was almost massless, he could fortify himself as much as he wanted, making him a potent warrior. He wasn't going to go easy on any grunt and so set his sword to the highest frequency. His sword, vibrating at an extremely high frequency was able to cut through anything. Anything. But it wasn't only a sword. It was a modular weapon system, capable of transforming into anything he required during battle.

"Are you done suiting up?" Ross asked.

"Good to go," Sigbjorn replied and they broke into a sprint.


	18. 'Woodn't' Mind a Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both sides engage in armed conflict.

_** Steele's Location, Emerald Forest ** _

"Diamond, Ruby, if you two would be kind enough to take care of Silver's acquaintance, I'm confident Blake and I could apprehend Silver."

"You'll never beat me!" Silver exclaimed though he was waiting for them to come to him, quite to the surprise of Steele. His demeanour was synonymous with the lone wolf. The lone wolf with complete and essential mastery of the wild. Thus, he didn't waste time on worthless insults. Nor did he let Steele jab at his pride and provoke him such. He waited for Steele and Blake to charge him and struck with vicious fury, though Steele was quick to parry.

"Wait!" Jade called out, but it was too late as Silver charged at Steele, his focus turning into ignorance. Jade sighed and sprinted towards her adversaries, her daggers floating in the air behind her. She flung two of the projectiles towards Diamond, who shredded the daggers with bullets.

Steele slowly started stepping backwards, firing a bolt at his opponent, who deflected it with his sword like clockwork. Silver noticed another bolt and switched his sword to the Assault Rifle mode and fired. The bullets decimated the bolt. He flipped it back to sword mode. Silver kept running. At this distance, Steele could only fire one more bolt before Silver closed the gap completely, and the bounty hunter knew it. He expected Steele to come up with something radical.

Instead, Steele fired another bolt. Silver grinned.

_Easy..._

He slashed at the bolt with his sword, but Steele had planned this thoroughly. This bolt burst into smoke, thick grey clouds of it which prohibited Silver from seeing anything. The thing was, it was raining and windy, so the smoke cleared quickly. Not quick enough for Silver, though, who kept running and slashed forward, expecting to come in contact with Steele's blade. But he got nothing.

"You think you can run away from me, Steele?!" he yelled, instantly met by a kick to the face.

 _He hasn't changed_ , thought Silver.

"Running isn't my plan."

"Glad to see that at least something's different about your 'plans'," Silver said as he witnessed Steele pull out _Comet_.

He heard a footstep behind him and slashed with his sword to see Blake's clone disappear into black smoke. The real Blake used _Gambol Shroud_ to attack Silver from afar, using its chain to her advantage. Silver deflected the blade, but a calculated tug from Blake resulted in the chain wrapping itself around Silver's sword arm, restraining him and allowing Steele to knee Silver in the stomach, swiftly following up with a punch to the temple.

Right before Steele thought about placing _Comet_ against Silver's neck to threaten him, he saw his opponent's eyes flash through the dark shades.

 _Shit,_ thought Steele even as his arm was already in motion. He managed to move it a few inches away before Silver grabbed it with his free arm and twisted it, delivering a kick right above the knee which hurt his stomach. As Steele kneeled, Silver released his arm and kicked him away, now pulling on _Gambol Shroud_. Blake felt herself being overpowered in terms of raw strength and was forced to withdraw her blade, opting to fire rounds from her weapon's pistol form to allow Steele to recover.

Steele grunted in pain as he rose, grabbing his shoulder to try and subdue the flaring sensation across his arm.

Silver rotated the shoulder of the arm that was restricted by _Gambol Shroud_ , "I see your pain tolerance is still abysmal, Steele. Even if your reaction times have gone down. How pitiful."

Sensory overstimulation. That was his weakness, and Silver knew it. Steele simply picked up his sword and assumed his battle stance as his opponent approached him.

"And I see you're still extremely gullible to external interference."

"Distractions won't work from now," Silver said, massaging his head. He then swung his sword down on Steele. Steele parried and shot out a blast of ice towards Silver's body, who simply leaned out of the way.

"Diamond, heads up!" Steele called out while dodging a slash as the ice shot towards his partner, who was busy dealing with Jade.

 _Huh? Oh, crap!_ thought Diamond as he saw the ice heading towards him.

Diamond leapt high enough to allow him the view of the blast sail past under him and instantly coat a tree in rock-solid ice. Turning invisible while midair, he aimed Pepper at Jade, readying the magnetic accelerator, and fired until the clip was empty. Most of the bullets caught Jade by surprise since she expected Diamond to be busy dodging, but she recovered quickly, ducking and rolling out of the way. Meanwhile, Ruby was putting waste to most of Jade's daggers as Diamond distracted her using _Salt_ , sniping most of them and when they got close, using her Semblance to outpace them.

"Nice shot!" Ruby admired as Diamond landed, brushing off his jacket.

"I aim to please," he winked. He turned and smirked, "I see you've been busy."

Jade noticed that there were no more daggers for her to control, save two in her backpack. She cursed under her breath and tried using her Semblance to bring up some of the poisonous liquid the daggers were filled with, but the rain offered her strong resistance so she had little success, and the small amounts which she did lift were scattered away by the wind, far too less to damage any living organism.

"Out of tricks?" Diamond asked with a smile on his face, frustrating Jade more. She pulled out a small stick from behind her back, which morphed into a polearm, and charged her opponents.

Diamond activated _Twilight_ in its staff form and parried Jade's strike, giving Ruby an opening with _Crescent Rose_ , catching Jade off-guard and knocking her down. Jade got up quicker than either expected and swung her weapon in an arc. Ruby was quick enough to get out of the way thanks to her semblance, but the sharp blade cut Diamond right across his free arm.

"Argh!" he cried out.

Ruby closed in as Jade jabbed, this time aiming for Diamond's chest. She blocked the attack with her scythe, then defended herself as Jade swung yet again. The long handle meant Jade could attack repeatedly nearby, but it also meant Diamond's weapon was effective in disarming her.

He switched _Twilight_ to baton-mode and caught the polearm in the middle of the batons.

"Hey, guess what?! My arm kind of realised what you did to it..."

Diamond pushed in a button, sending electricity down the polearm to Jade's hand, causing her to cry out in pain and drop the weapon.

"...And it got MAD!"

Diamond's elbow turned black, absorbing light again, as he proceeded to strike Jade's nose with it, forcing Jade to the ground with prompt unpleasantness.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked as Diamond checked the cut on his arm.

"I'm good, Aura's already patching it up."

She nodded, then looked at the polearm fly back towards Jade as she got back up and started retreating to Silver.

"Ah, great," muttered Diamond, readying his SMG, "Ready to chase 'em out?"

"You bet."

Meanwhile, Steele and Blake weren't having much luck with Silver. How do you even fight someone who knows your most probable course of action before you even think about executing it? Steele had gotten lucky with his first strike with the smoke arrow, but Silver wasn't exactly giving him enough room to think of something else. _Anything_ else.

Steele parried a slash and prepared for a follow-up, but Silver stopped there.

"I bet I surprised you by showing up, didn't I?" Silver asked.

"Only a bit. I should've known you were the one covering the White Fang's traces," Steele responded, "It was a reasonable, probable assumption that you were working with them."

"Then why didn't you send the hounds after me?!" Silver bellowed, firing the rifle in a burst. Steele created a wall of thick ice between himself and the bullets.

"That's not important! Why are you here, Silver?! Why in Emerald Forest?!!"

Silver started laughing, and in the midst of this, Steele nodded to Blake, who started circling them.

"Look at you! Trying to figure this all out. How dumb you look when you try to think so hard... but then it all falls flat, doesn't it, Steele?"

"It's... not the informant. You hate the White Fang. Always have, and always will."

"Oooh, bravo! The process of elimination! Here's a little treat for you!"

Silver readied his rifle, now set to automatic, but Steele had handed Blake an Ice Dust marker. Right before Silver let rip, Steele teleported to it, avoiding the rain of bullets.

_... It's a distraction. They're trying to keep us from something else._

The distance between Silver and Steele was too great for either to fire a reliable shot, so both of them were left aiming at each other, and Blake too aimed threateningly at Silver. She looked curiously at Steele as to why they weren't firing. Steele noticed.

"Distance is too great for my bow or your scythe. His rifle only fires in burst or automatic. If he uses the former, he knows he can only shoot at one, hence we can block it easily. The latter will have too wide a spread to be of any real concern."

Steele stared hard at his opponent's mask.

_Why the hell is he smiling?!_

Blake picked up a footstep behind her, then a grunt as someone threw something. She turned around to see a dagger heading towards Steele.

"Look out!"

She tackled Steele to the ground and saw the dagger whiz past above them.

"Oh, that's why... that impudent..." she heard Steele mutter under his breath... right next to her ear.

Blake quickly got up and offered Steele a hand. Steele took it and looked towards Silver, with Jade standing next to them. Diamond and Ruby jogged up to them.

"You two okay?" Ruby asked, to which Blake answered, "We're fine. And even," she smiled slightly.

"Very well," Steele responded.

"What now?" Jade asked Silver.

"We've distracted them for as long as we could, they're better than I expected. The odds are against us, we need to bolt and hope they secured the Schnee."

Silver turned to face his opponents.

"4 Huntsmen against the 2 of us. This fight went better than I expected, though you two are getting sloppy."

"Come here and say that again for me, Silver!" Diamond yelled, making Silver growl.

"Yeah, that's right, you're too scared, aren't you?!" Diamond followed up.

"I haven't started with you yet, Diamond. Because you're going to be the easiest to break."

Ruby noticed Diamond's eyes widen for a second as unease evinced itself on his face. He recovered quickly, "What? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over your scared-ness!"

"Fear," corrected Steele.

"Shut up, you're on my side," retorted Diamond.

"And Steele, you were right about one thing: I don't care for the White Fang," Silver said, giving his rival a curt nod. The duo then retreated into the woods.

"Come on, we gotta get after them!" Ruby said. Steele grabbed her by the arm before she could run after them.

"It won't be of any use. They may have planned that out very thoroughly," Steele pointed towards the forest, "Who knows what kinds of things they have in store for us in there?"

"As much as I want to go after them, Steele's right," Diamond nodded. He noticed Ruby's face drop a bit.

"Thanks for the save. It's good to have you watching my back," Diamond said, consequently making Ruby smile.

Then, she exclaimed, "Oh, no!"

"What's wrong?" Steele asked, kneeling over the syringe Jade had dropped.

"He said... Weiss and Yang! The White Fang! They're after Weiss! We need to help them!" Ruby exclaimed, panicking a little.

"That still doesn't explain everything..." Steele thought out loud, picking up the syringe.

"No time to theorise, Steele, we gotta move!" Diamond announced. Steele studied the syringe, then the ground next to it, and exclaimed, "Oh, clever!"

"Steele!" Diamond huffed.

"Here it is. Distortion device," Steele said, pointing to a rectangular-shaped piece of metal which had been separated from the syringe when it hit the ground by Jade. He pushed in a small button, the 'off' switch, "Try contacting them now," he said.

Ruby immediately pulled out her Scroll and activated team communications.

"Yang! Weiss!"

_"Ruby! We've been trying to get to you but... Yang, look out!"_

"Weiss, talk to me!"

_"It's the White Fang!"_

"We're on our way!" Ruby said, now able to see her partner's coordinates.

"Sigbjorn and Ross are on their way to you! They should be there any second now! We'll try to get there ASAP!" Diamond spoke.

 _"Make it quick! I don't want to have all the fun!"_ said Yang _, "Boy, things are heating up here!"_

"Let's go, everyone!" Ruby said, and the four broke off.


	19. The Spaghetti Thickens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigbjorn and Ross assist Weiss and Yang against Roman's force.

It didn't take Sigbjorn and Ross long to notice Yang and Weiss fighting a horde of two dozen armoured and experienced White Fang soldiers. The two were somehow holding their ground.

"Friendlies on your six," Sigbjorn spoke into their scrolls.

"Diamond said you two would show up!" Yang called out upon noticing them.

"Do you have a plan?!" Weiss said after she dashed to her teammate using a glyph. She looked weary but still clung to her weapon.

 _Time to turn this tide,_ thought Sigbjorn.

"You two thin out the herd. We'll focus on the leaders. There's bound to be someone in charge here."

"So you're giving us most of the work?" Weiss inquired.

"We'll chip in for now," Sigbjorn responded, smiling underneath his armour. He summoned an LMG and leapt into the air, firing into the crowd of White Fang soldiers who were eager for battle. They soon weren't.

"Charming," Weiss said to herself, smiling, then focusing on the battle. Yang grinned at her teammate, "I knew you had a crush on him," she said, then turning her attention to a nearby grunt.

"Oh, shut up."

Ross' first order of business was to create some cover for the Huntresses, providing safe havens from incoming fire. He then used his Semblance to create giant hands popping out of the ground and smashing the soldiers to the earth. Many were picked up and thrown about until they were unconscious. One was flicked into a tree. Once he saw the majority go down, Ross picked up his sniper rifle to clear a path.

 _Aim for the non-vitals,_ he thought to himself. He didn't want to kill any of them unless they were impeding him.

"Can you hold this position?" Ross asked Yang, who was nearby, "Sigbjorn may need some help. Lots of White Fang over there."

Yang took note of his serious expression, for once, then nodded in response.

"Alright," Ross said, aiming for the shoulder of one of two White Fang Grunts who were aiming at Sigbjorn with automatic rifles.

Ross took in a breath and held the rifle steady before deciding to pull the trigger. His rifle thundered twice. Eclipse was no ordinary rifle, it fired rounds with enough momentum to smash through concrete. He wasn't surprised when the enemies went down screaming and clutching their shoulders as a red cloud where the bullet hit dissipated as quickly as it appeared.

He let out a breath, let another one take its place and dashed as fast as he could towards the enemy.

Sigbjorn continued raining bullets and explosive blasts from the air, occasionally landing near some grunt or another, dragging them to a considerable height and punching them towards the ground with a giant fist. Yang continued to hold her position, charging anyone who got too close to her and taunting the ones who were too scared to do so, much to their irritation. The isolated White Fang grunts were kept in check by Weiss, who used her glyphs to dart from location to location and sometimes freeze still a group of fighters on an ice or time dilation glyph and finish them off quickly, but she had already used up a large portion of her Aura and was tiring out.

Sigbjorn flew over to where most of the leaders seemed to be and let his weapons rip, dive-bombing a grunt and crushing his ribcage.

"I'm sorry, are you the a-hole in charge?" he said once the smoke cleared out. There was one figure standing in front of him with orange hair, wearing a bowler hat and holding a cane.

"Get him, Neo!"

He sensed movement and wasted no time kicking the figure on his right, hearing the sound of glass shatter as someone backflipped away from him. A little girl with an umbrella? No problem, he was ready to make her hurt. His weapon morphed into a bow-katana. She seemed to be a competent fighter and so he wouldn't take any chances. The bow would allow him to keep his distance if need be but if she proved to be a long-range fighter, he could easily close the distance between the two.

He began charging up his Semblance. This would allow him to fight effectively. He deployed a clone of himself to allow him to support the two huntresses all while Ross was fighting the other man. He realised that their Semblances contrasted each other perfectly. The man with the orange hair seemed like was a better martial artist than Ross was, and the little girl was keeping her distance from Sigbjorn while skillfully dodging all his ranged attacks. But Sigbjorn had the exact strategy to take care of the two of them. He told Ross to switch opponents with him. He slid towards the weird-looking dude and immediately uppercut. Ross swarmed the girl with rock waves yelling apologies the entire time. He was unrelenting and guarded himself well, giving no opportunity for the girl to retaliate. It was fortuitous for them that she didn't notice the rock trap building behind her. When it came to fighting, Ross knew how to put his Semblance and weapons to good use.

Back to carrot-top. He started stepping backwards and began firing volleys of Dust projectiles at him. His mistake was to underestimate the huntsman's capabilities. Sigbjorn dodged them with ease, zipping well clear of the rounds. Roman didn't take notice of the fact that the clone Sigbjorn had made hadn't disintegrated and was closing in on him. The clone kicked him forwards. This was enough to disorient Roman. The clone and its creator began punching him and knocking him back and forth in sync controlled by one mind. Roman had no chance to block. The real Sigbjorn began using his swords and left deep cuts all over Roman's body while the clone left dark bruises.

Weiss slumped down near her teammate, exhausted from her use of Aura, taking a knee and both hands resting on the hilt of Myrtenaster.

"You okay?" Yang asked.

"Give me a few seconds... I'll be just fine," Weiss replied between breaths.

She was stunned to see flashes of light pulsing from where Sigbjorn had landed. She waited for her vision to clear and saw Sigbjorn brutally attacking Roman. That fighting style reminded her of the old school samurai of old combined with Yang's MMA training videos. The exact fighting style was a combination of knifeplay, martial arts, and gunplay. It was called CQC. Sigbjorn had trained under some of the best trainers in all 4 kingdoms. He had crafted it out of his systema, krav maga and jiu-jitsu training. It was customised to allow him to grapple and effectively knock out enemy soldiers, allowing them to be interrogated in the future while exerting minimal effort. It also allowed him to defend his weak aura capabilities.

Ross, on the other hand, was using his own style of fighting. He used heavy hits to inflict the most damage and crush offensively, all while maintaining a near-impenetrable defence with the earth. It wasn't as fast-paced as Sigbjorn's but it was well-suited for his heavy hits. The 'ice cream lady', as Ross called her, was still on the defensive, leading the battle in Ross's favour. The two decided to run to fight another day. Neo pulled off her escape act, dodging a crushing blow from Eclipse and leaving behind remnants of glass, much to Ross' confusion. Roman, however, was not so successful, since a blast from Sigbjorn's Hardlight/IR cannon sent him flying sideways, covering him in soot from the explosion.

Sigbjorn struck upwards with his fist, making sure that Roman's neck was undamaged. He wanted to interrogate these two later. But this is where he made his mistake. He assumed that Roman was some street thug. It was true, but Roman was a tactician too. He noticed that Sigbjorn was low on aura, and the second Sigbjorn used the last of his aura to strike Roman upwards, he fell on to the ground. Roman to prepared his cane and fired a Dust round at Weiss, successfully electrocuting her and causing her to slump to the ground out of exhaustion and pain.

With Sigbjorn distracted by Weiss, Roman fired again. The blast wasn't powerful enough on its own, but Sigbjorn's aura was low which meant he could take permanent damage. Roman got back up, his injuries causing him to limp slightly, his face bruised. He swung at Sigbjorn's face, and Weiss heard something crack all over from where she was lying down. Sigbjorn's jaw. Roman then went to town, striking his legs and back. Weiss made desperate attempts to get up, but all her muscles ached and denied the action.

"I'm a tennis player, and I do enjoy the sport deeply," began ranting Roman, and if his voice was any indicator, he was livid both from bruises and rage.

Sigbjorn had no idea how the talk was related to the battle at hand, but his jawbone was shattered and he couldn't speak. The pain was excruciating. He had let his concern for Weiss get in the way of his battle senses. He was slipping up.

Roman continued, "Tennis has two types of strokes, now allow me to demonstrate. BACKHAND! FOREHAND!" screamed Roman, menacingly smashing Sigbjorn's face with his cane with a backhanded blow, then a forehand, then repeating. By this time, Sigbjorn was bleeding from multiple places in his head region.

Roman then used his cane to start twisting Sigbjorn's arm, pushing it to near its breaking point, "Do you know how much this suit set me back, kid?! More than you're worth! And you RUINED it!"

Sigbjorn wanted to scream, but any movement of his jaw would only result in more pain. Luckily, he had some backup.

"I PREFER BASEBALL!" was what Roman heard before Ross swung his weapon. It was a combination of an axe and a hammer. One side had a viciously sharp, curved blade. The other was blunt with rough edges, made out of clumps of substances like obsidian, corundum, quartz and topaz, making that side harder than concrete.

It was this side which, unfortunately for Roman, acquainted itself with his midsection. Unlike Russel, who had merely insulted his friends, Roman had beat up one of them. Ross was out of mercy for this one, using all of his strength to strike. Roman was sent flying away from his victim into a tree near a group of White Fang.

Roman grunted in pain, then said in a hoarse voice, "Well? Help me get out of here!"

They looked at him, then at Ross, then scurried away from the battlefield without another word.

Roman growled.

"You're mine now," Ross said to himself, aiming for Roman's thigh with his Eclipse so he wouldn't be able to run.

When he pulled the trigger, Roman shattered into little pieces. The surroundings around him too. Like glass.

"Dammit, Ice Cream Lady!!" Ross grunted out of frustration.

Sigbjorn was in pretty bad shape, Weiss noticed from a distance that his left arm was twisted backwards. It looked unnatural. It was broken for sure. Surprisingly, she saw him flop around in what must have been an attempt to get up.

"Easy now, sparkle! " cried Ross. He slowly started using rock formations to help pick him up. The rock formations began circling the broken boy, healing him in all the places where he was injured. The jawbone righted itself with a gruesome snap. All the injuries which would require two weeks or less to recover healed as if nothing had happened. For the others, the pain was reduced, including the arm. Though it righted itself a little bit, professional medical attention would be required.

"Hey, hang on, it's just gonna take a little while to get your Aura back," Ross said to Sigbjorn assuringly.

"Ross... there..." Sigbjorn pointed as Ross followed his gaze. The White Fang deemed it necessary to make one final push to get the target, now that (including her) two out of four were incapable of combat.

"You're finally gonna get what you deserve, Schnee!"

"We'll do to you what you did to us!"

"Treat her like the bitch she is!"

And more insults came from the slowly encircling dozen or so White Fang as Weiss tried to get on her feet. Even Yang had a worried expression on her face, concerned about her teammate. Right when it seemed that the White Fang were going to charge, Ross stepped in, holding his hammer and aggressively glaring at the enemy.

"You need to be taken down!" said Ross, swinging his hammer in an arc and pressing in a button. Gravity Dust filled the inner chambers of the hammer and increased its force. He finally brought it down on the ground. The Gravity Dust, in combination with Ross' powers, was enough to launch them in the air as the ground was pulled from their feet like a rug. Ross charged in as Yang kept pace beside him after making sure that nobody was near Weiss.

The White Fang realised that Ross was a force to be reckoned with and reluctantly started to run with Roman and Neo, leaving their objective behind. Some of them stopped moving as they realised their feet were embedded in the ground. Ross proceeded to hit one with his hammer. "Cowards!" he called out, sending the poor grunt flying in the direction the others were retreating.

"Nice one," smiled Yang once the last of them had retreated into the woods, "even though I had it covered."

"Yeah, right. You're sweating so badly you look like you came out of a swimming pool," said Ross.

"It's the rain," Yang punched him playfully on his arm.

"Sure," laughed Ross, then he heard a grunt behind him and the sound of something crashing down onto the mud.

"Oh no! God, I'm so stupid!" he cried, turning round to see Sigbjorn stumbling towards Weiss. Ross performed the same healing process for Weiss, but most of her injuries were left out as Ross' Aura neared its end.

"That's about as much as I can do," Ross said after walking over as some disappointment clouded his face. Weiss sat up, some of the pain was gone now, though her Aura was yet to come back.

"You ok?" Sigbjorn asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, then nodded semi-consciously in response.

"Thanks," she finally spoke, to which Sigbjorn nodded.

They heard rustling from the plants behind them. Ross readied his hammer, gritting his teeth for they were at a disadvantage. He hoped it wasn't a Grimm.

"Easy, Ross. Friendlies here," Steele said before emerging out of the woods.

"You're late," Ross chided.

"You'll want to know why in a second, Ross," Diamond said, uncloaking himself a good distance in front of Steele. It was logical for him to be the scout.

Yang noticed a burst of rose petals in the woods. The next instant, she saw Ruby standing in front of her with a worried expression on her face, "Yang! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, little sis," Yang said, placing an arm around her younger sister's neck, "nothing we couldn't handle," she continued with a thumbs up to Ross and Sigbjorn, with the latter nodding back. Yang turned to her sister and said in a low tone, "And I think I might just have a little something for you..."

Meanwhile, Blake knelt next to Weiss, "Are you alright? You need medical attention."

Weiss looked at Blake, a surprised expression on her face. She still remembered their argument: the one that nearly destroyed the team.

Blake continued, "I've asked Ruby to call for a Bullhead. You'll be patched up at Beacon."

"Thanks."

"I wonder how those two got along," remarked Diamond. Ross was the only one in the vicinity to hear him since they were searching the battlefield for any clues. Diamond was inspecting a carbine rifle with Dust ammunition. Not that it offered them a lot of information, but it did tell them that the White Fang was better supplied in Vale than in Atlas if even grunts were getting Dust rounds.

"It must have been tough at first..." Ross mused, "Well, it's good that Ruby managed to make them get along as their leader."

Diamond turned to look at her conversing with Sigbjorn, Steele, Yang, Blake and Weiss behind him. Something she said made them laugh. He didn't hear what it was, but her laughter was enough to make him smile.

"Yeah..." he stopped, realising he had said that out loud and that Ross was staring at him.

"Uh... did you find anything?" Diamond tried to change the subject. Fortunately, it worked.

"A vest," Ross held up the object, "with a weird symbol on it."

Ross proceeded to toss the vest to Diamond, who inhaled sharply upon looking at the symbol.

What the hell? Ross heard Diamond muttering to himself, he was not expecting Diamond to react this way.

"You recognise it?"

Diamond stared hard at it, running his hand over the fabric before hearing Sigbjorn and Ruby calling out their names. He turned to see them motioning for them to return. They both started walking back.

"Kevlar... I don't know, I thought I'd seen this symbol before... can't exactly put a finger on it... a crate maybe...," Diamond mused.

"It's probably nothing, Diamond," Ross said, "We've seen enough crates and logos on crates for one lifetime. It's probably one of them."

Diamond sighed, shaking his head, "For once, you're right. But this is still evidence, and that means we're keeping it."

"Hm," Ross nodded in agreement.

"Do you have any idea who was here?" Diamond inquired, "On your end, I mean."

Ross shook his head, "Hell if I know. Just some orange-headed asshat and a girl with pink and brown hair."

"Did you guys see Silver?" Ross asked with some apprehension.

Diamond looked at his friend gravely, "Yeah, and he was not happy about it."

Ross was worried ever since Sigbjorn had said it was Silver. Steele had gone so far as to say that he had suspected Silver ever since the latter went missing after... a total catastrophe, to put it lightly. But Ross had never considered the possibility of Silver going against them. He wasn't one to doubt people he trusted even for one second.

"Did he at least tell you why he's doing this?"

Diamond shook his head in response. Ross was still willing to have faith.

"Maybe he's being forced. Pressured into it. Ozpin has enemies. So do we."

Diamond's expression told Ross that he didn't completely agree. Before Ross could question him, he realised they had reached.

"Well, everyone, I think we can all agree that this was a job well done," Diamond said, smiling.

While most of everyone agreed, Steele's expression voiced his disagreement. He shook his head slightly, "Find anything?"

Diamond tossed Steele the vest, "They had these, plus Dust ammunition in their guns. Someone's supplying these guys with good gear."

"Yeah, let's not talk about the Dust ammunition for a while," Sigbjorn grunted, clutching his arm as a Bullhead arrived overhead. Sigbjorn took a look inside as the Bullhead descended. It had two medics and a stretcher on board.

Once everyone was seated and Weiss was on the stretcher, Ruby spoke up, "Alright, now that everyone's onboard, I think that we're onto something. Yang?"

Yang fished out a hard drive with a grin of victory on her face.

"You just found it in the forest?!" Ross blurted out in surprise.

"Couple of White Fang got hammered by Grimm. We came across some of their gear when we were searching, and there wasn't much left in their backpacks but this," Yang explained.

She handed it to Steele, who was looking out towards the forest as the Bullhead closed in on Beacon. Diamond noticed something was different about him. Instead of readily picking up the drive and inspecting it, Steele absentmindedly accepted it with not so much as a look.

"You good?" Diamond asked.

Steele looked at his partner but didn't respond. He handed the hard drive over to Sigbjorn.

"It's probably encrypted. You know what to do."

Sigbjorn nodded, reached into his backpack and pulled out his laptop, and a few connector cables. The encryption was set to blow the disk if the wrong password was entered, so Sigbjorn began to think of possible passwords. He looked over at the remnants of the informant's gear and began to make conclusions.

He's a patriot, related to Ozpin's group. Style of clothing is modern meaning that he was probably young. Since we have his name, and his probable birth date, I'll make a possible wordlist and select from those.

He was about to enter when he received a transmission from Ozpin. The password was 'lukas1999'.

Amateurs, he thought to himself. He rather wished Ozpin hadn't told him the password. He would have enjoyed the thrill.

He opened the hard drive to find... music?

To an ordinary cryptographer, this would be confusing.

Sigbjorn was far from ordinary. He knew that these files had been steganographed. Data hidden inside the music. He pulled up his bruteforcer and decided that since he could try out all the possible characters, he would set his laptop to run at maximum capacity. This would test every single possible combination the password would accept. It would take a few days. Faster, if he plugged it into his real PC, or used his Semblance.

He turned around to see all the faces in the Bullhead watching him. He'd zoned out again, hadn't he?

"Sorry, just focusing on the drive," he responded, feeling a freezing stiffness in his arm. He looked to see one of the medics holding a syringe, dabbing cotton onto the injection site. Ether. Sigbjorn pulled away slightly.

"I'll be fine," he said, dismissing the medic, who took one long look at the boy, gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and entered the cockpit.

"The hard drive will take a few days to crack normally. Leave it to me. With my Semblance I can--"

"You need medical care," Weiss said. She sounded... worried. For him?

"I said I'll be fine..." Sigbjorn said. His head throbbed, he couldn't move his arm without it hurting even with the ether numbing the pain, and a rib felt like was burning itself to embers, probably after experiencing the impact of the Dust round Roman shot at him.

"You need to use your Aura to heal. Rest up in the infirmary. Just let me know what you've already found inside the hard drive and I'll see if I can find a way to decrypt it," Steele answered while still looking outside the window.

Sigbjorn was silent. The kind of deathly silence he assumed when people offered him help. He was fine on his own, as long as he wasn't dying. Even though what Steele said had somewhat obvious logic and reasoning to it, it didn't mean that Sigbjorn had to agree. But everyone in the Bullhead seemed concerned.

"Fine," Sigbjorn decided after some thought. It wouldn't take that long for him to recover, anyway. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Weiss smile for a split second, but when he turned, she looked away with a neutral expression on her face. He frowned but didn't say anything.

"I have a question," he heard Ruby ask as the Bullhead drew closer to the landing pad, "How do you know Silver?"

Sigbjorn sighed and shook his head. He hadn't asked his teammates how Silver had responded. Not good, by the looks of it.

Diamond internally wished Ruby hadn't brought it up.

"Probably better to leave it for now," he replied.

"Leave it?" Blake questioned, "He was out to kill!"

"No, he wasn't," Steele said, his attention now fully redirected to the tension in the aircraft, "Not either of you, anyway. But Diamond is right. That information is... personal. Not to mention confidential. If we're telling anyone, it's our call alone."

"I'm leaving it to Sigbjorn," Ross said, nodding in agreement, "I trust him, and he's the leader."

"You can trust us. We won't tell anyone," Ruby said to Sigbjorn.

Sigbjorn weighed it in his head. If he didn't tell them, they wouldn't completely trust him, or any of them afterwards. But would RWBY trust them even if he did? He was at a crossroads. Tell them and risk losing their trust, or keep the truth from them and lose trust, but still maintain their reputation, also upholding military confidentiality.

He let out a long-held breath before speaking, "We can't share that information. It's classified."

He caught their distraught expressions and said. "I'm sorry for sounding blunt, but that is not going to happen. Or... not yet, at best. If you want tactical information, I'd be more than happy to help you, but our connection to him is not something I wish to share as of now."

He noticed his teammates' body language. They seemed almost at relief with the verdict. Steele looked at him and nodded, even as Blake sat back with a dismal expression and Weiss turned away from the inside of the Bullhead. As long as his teammates were okay with it, he was convinced he did the right thing.

After a long, unsettling silence, Ruby cleared her throat, "It's fine by me. I understand. And I trust you guys since you came out here to help," she said, smiling.

Yang nodded, "That pretty much sums it up for me too. As long as you DO share it with us whenever."

Weiss was silent. Steele reasoned that she was probably still processing everything that happened in the brawl. He also noticed the immediate expression of concern on Sigbjorn's face. He rolled his eyes and redirected his attention to Ross. He seemed to be thankful, cheerful even. He shifted his focus to Diamond, who was staring at Sigbjorn with a serious expression. He shook his head and looked out of the window.

But Blake had a scowl on her face. It was evident that she didn't trust any of them completely. Steele sighed. Their encounter in the RWBY dorm room was probably one of the reasons she was sceptical of them. Maybe it was her past experiences, maybe it was circumstance.

"I don't think I can trust you," Blake finally said. Ruby and Yang adopted a worried look and Sigbjorn noticed this. To their surprise, he replied, "That's a fair call. I'd probably do the same."

He noticed the Bullhead was now hovering over the docking area. There were some people with a small ramp waiting for the Bullhead to land, probably so that they could carry the stretcher with ease. He looked at Weiss, fatigued and injured.

_If only I'd reached there earlier..._

His brain told him there was nothing more which could be done. He shook his head, sighing as the Bullhead landed and the engines slowly died out. The medics began to wheel the stretcher to the infirmary. He jumped down from the Bullhead and started trailing the stretcher, waving to his teammates and the rest of Team RWBY as they descended from the airship, "See you in a bit!"

The remainder started walking back toward the campus.

"Ruby, you seem a bit bothered," Steele noted out loud upon seeing her expression.

"What? Oh, it's just--" Ruby paused to sigh, "Our mission was to bring the informant back. I don't think we succeeded."

"Hey, I wouldn't say it was a failure," Ross tried to console.

"You retrieved the informant's data. Plus held back two incredibly dangerous assassins and a lot of White Fang from causing god-knows-what kind of chaos," Diamond added, "That is pretty successful to me," he cheered.

"And if you needed help from us... well, I think it's only because we existed in the first place. I don't think you had any other threats apart from Grimm," Ross added.

"I agree," said Diamond while holding up his fist. Ruby smiled and obliged with a fist bump, "Thanks, guys."

"Still... the informant got away," Blake added.

"Wasn't much we could do," Yang reasoned, "Hey Steele, you wanna try explaining it to her?"

"Erm-- well, I think both of you are right. The informant did get away, and you probably weren't informed of the mission on time. Best option: talk to Ozpin. He'll know what to do."

"Got it. It's probably a good idea to do that now," Ruby responded, "Wait, what about Silver?"

"He knows about Silver, you can tell him everything. But don't expect him to return the favour."

"Oh. Thanks!" Ruby smiled broadly, giving them a thumbs up before she, Blake and Yang started walking towards Ozpin's tower.

Ross snickered, watching Diamond as they turned around. Diamond narrowed his eyes, then looked at Ross.

"What?"

"Man, I ship you two so much... back at the field, and now you trying to reassure her, that fist bump--"

"Ross, it is NOT what you think it is! Get your mind out of the gutter, man!" came Diamond's reply, though his reddened face said otherwise.

"Hey!" Ross said, a little offended at Diamond's 'gutter' remark, "Take that back!"

"Or what?" Diamond smirked.

"Or--"

Ross stopped when he noticed that Steele wasn't keeping pace with them. He turned around to see Steele pacing back and forth behind them along half the width of the path with a serious expression.

Ross and Diamond jogged back up to their teammate, grabbing his arm and abruptly drawing his attention to the present moment.

"Huh?! Let go of me," Steele said, pulling his arm out of Diamond's grip.

"Now that you're here, Ozpin should add a new sign: No brooding in the paths or hallways," Diamond joked in a bid to ease his partner's mood.

Steele gave an annoyed huff, shook his head, and met his friends' gazes with deadpan eyes.

"Whatever happened earlier... there's more to follow. You know Silver. He's not going to quit. For all we know, he has the informant. Combine that with how serious Ozpin, Ms Goodwitch and Ironwood were, as well as the murder of a diplomat... and it's evident that we've stumbled upon something serious."

Diamond and Ross realized that this was no laughing matter, immediately feeling guilty for making jokes a minute or so ago. Steele Snow was indeed brooding, and currently, he was their best bet to find out whatever was happening.

"Something big is coming and we should prepare for it," Steele said.

"As a team," Ross added.

"We'll stand up to it. Sigbjorn isn't here, but I'm damn sure he'd say something along the lines of whatever we just said," Diamond said.

The trio nodded and strode back to their dorm room, determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! As you can see, we're back with another chapter! I apologise for the late upload, but this was the best we all could do.
> 
> If you have any feedback for this work or chapter, please consider dropping a review containing your thoughts: I'll be sure to respond appropriately. If you like reading this story, please consider dropping a 'Kudos', it lets me know you enjoyed reading and further motivates me to write.


	20. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Weiss and Sigbjorn recuperate in Beacon's infirmary, the latter finds himself dealing with something terrible.

**_ Infirmary, Beacon Academy, 17:46:33 hours _ **

Sigbjorn awkwardly walked up the stairs. His muscles were still recovering, and he wished he hadn't chosen to walk all this way to Weiss' bed. The pain in his chest wasn't any better. But he wanted to do this because he wanted to talk to Weiss about the whole incident. He wanted to make sure that she was okay.

He walked up the hospital wing where she was still recovering, that last attack had hurt her pretty badly. He held a bunch of white roses in his hands. He strolled up to her bed, looking at her sleeping face.

He couldn't muster the courage to talk to her. What would he even say?

_Hey Weiss, it's sort of my fault that Silver was there and that this thing even happened in the first place... and that you got hurt... here's a bunch of flowers to make you feel better!_

Not really.

It was like his heart went into overdrive, beating fast. Along with this uncontrollable urge to go and hug her. He didn't know why. He had never felt like this before. But there was something about her. Some side of her she seemed to be hiding. He chalked it up to nerves and approached closer. He told himself he'd cut out his feelings later.

Weiss was awake but trying her level best to fall asleep. She shut her eyes and tried, but sleep just wouldn't come. Too many thoughts swirling in her head. Especially what the White Fang said while preparing to attack her near the end. Was her family's reputation really going to stick with her for the rest of her life? Was her name all that people saw in her?

"North Pole to Snowflake, I repeat: North Pole to Snowflake, come in Snowflake!"

She turned around to see Sigbjorn standing up there with a smile. He was holding something in his hand, she couldn't see what but she assumed it was a card.

He politely sat down and gently asked, "How are you feeling?"

She curled up in her covers and said, "Fine".

"Are you sure? That last hit from Roman looked real bad."

 _Pity I let him get away,_ he thought to himself.

Weiss nodded in response, "I'm alright."

Sigbjorn smiled, "That's good to hear then."

"Why are you here?"

He looked confused. His eyebrows scrunched up. For the first time in Weiss' conscious mind, he looked cute.

"Stop it, Weiss!" 

She realised too late that she had spoken out loud.

He laughed. "I hope you didn't get hit too hard, seeing as you're talking to yourself."

"Dunce."

"Look, as I much as I love spending time with you, I came here to check on you."

She seemed surprised, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? 2 main reasons. One is that Lightning Dust may still be in your system. I'm talking to you to make sure you don't feel any symptoms."

He witnessed her face wilt quicker than a balloon puncturing to a nail. "Oh. That's it then. I told you, I feel fine," she said with a downcast face.

"And the second reason is that I care about you."

Her heart stopped. Literally. The lightning Dust had jump-started her heart. He noticed and immediately put his hand on her chest. The sensation of his warm hand against her cool skin sent tingles of electricity across her body. She shivered. He attributed it to the unwarranted contact.

"I'm removing the Dust from your skin. It will tingle a little".

He couldn't have had more than 5% Aura remaining owing to the nature of his injuries, but he concentrated hard. Weiss felt goosebumps running over her skin as the Dust snaked its way to where he had placed his hand. Once enough Dust accumulated in one spot, she saw sparks sporadically jump to his arm, only to be blocked by a purple field. Weiss knew that Sigbjorn was trying his hardest to maintain his Aura, but the field flickered. As she felt the last of the Dust escape, his Aura gave in and electricity seared itself into his arm. A gasp escaped her parted mouth.

Sigbjorn grimaced in pain. It wasn't just his arm; what little Aura he had was blocking a sea of pain with the Ether wearing off. But now the dam was gone. He clutched his stomach, but realised Weiss was looking and flashed a smile; "I'm alright... Just need a few seconds..."

"Why did you do that?!" she cried, clearly worried.

"Because it needed to be done. Besides, now it can't hurt you."

"Why didn't you tell me it was gonna hurt you?!" she said in anger."Because I didn't think it would be important."

"Not important?! Of course it's important! You've hurt yourself!"

Though taken aback by this outburst, Sigbjorn maintained his stand. "So? It's not like it matters," he said, looking away from her.

"Of course it matters! You're hurt! I'm not gonna let you go until the nurse takes a look at your arm!"

She grabbed hold of it. And refused to let go.

"Weiss, I'm fine. Now let go of my arm." He said with a shake of his head, but there was a slight smile on his face.

She shook her head, like a child who wouldn't budge until her demands were met. He sighed. "How long will this go on for?"

"Till the nurse comes to see you."

He exhaled and sat down. This was gonna be a long wait. He looked over at his arm which was still stuck in a vice grip. He was greeted by the wonderful sight of Weiss sleeping. She looked so peaceful and serene. He didn't want to wake her up. So they just lay there, for hours. Enjoying each other's company.

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Sigbjorn awoke in blackness. It was happening again. He knew it. This was the third night in Beacon and he wasn't even in the dorm room. He was in the stupid medical wing thanks to Weiss. He moved around turning to figure out which fresh hell awaited him this time. He heard a skittering, scraping, squealing sound against the walls behind him. A tandem of legs fervently tapping them spontaneously and randomly.

 _Spiders_.

He braced himself. He could cope with his teammates. But not anyone else. Not right now. Not so soon. Floodlights turned on to show his teammates... and someone else too. Thumping on the glass behind him was the figure of Weiss Schnee. The sound was getting louder. He didn't bother wasting time. He cracked the glass open, picked her up bridal style and began to run. He didn't know where he was running to, but then again, he never did. He ran into a maze and began to hide. Weiss was trying to say something. But her words never reached his ears. They never did. These nightmares had happened before, but he still didn't know anything about them. He didn't know why. But he felt a strange need to protect her.

He understood. He had feelings for her. Shit. This complicated things infinitely. How would she react when she found out? Probably by telling him to get lost.

The sound of the mob grew louder as he peeked over the corner and saw his teammates inching towards them. They were his teammates, but different. Their eyes were hollow and their skulls were torn open. Grotesque spider mandibles erupted from their faces. They carried hate in their eyes. They blamed him. He wasn't surprised. He failed to save them. This was his punishment. But why her? What had she done? He simply made the mistake of falling in love with her. This was his fault again. He was accustomed to this, and yet he felt something inside break.

They were deafening now. He heard sloshing, tearing sounds and was afraid to look. This was new. He turned the corner and saw his teammates doubled over and screaming even louder over the skittery arachnid voices. The sound of it gave him a mini seizure. He heard more clacking footsteps and looked forward when he saw... His parents. He was tempted to run to them and hug them and beg for forgiveness, but his body couldn't move. It was just as good. They doubled over too and he saw finally what had happened to his teammates. Spider legs had torn out of their stomachs. Their intestines were dangling outside creating a slow "shrr-shrr" sound as their hard feet impacted the ground.

He was losing it. This. Was. Unprecedented. His thoughts began to wander.

He turned to Weiss and tried communicating with her. He asked her if she was bitten. She shook her head. No. There was a speck of hope in this hellish void of darkness. He told her that this was his fault. And that if she trusted him he'd get her out of this. She seemed skeptical but grudgingly agreed. They turned and ran. Through the dark, endless, grotesque maze of hell. They ran and he saw all his fears laid out before him. His dead teammates. Weiss rejecting him. Silver too, though he didn't move a muscle as he slowly faded into the darkness.   
Sigbjorn was no stranger to self-doubt. He kept going, the monstrosities slowly shuffling behind him but always there. At the peripherals of his vision.

Then he saw it. The one fear he'd been dreading. A giant white spider crawled out from the shadows. Bony plates, smeared with blood, covered most of its body, adorned with the rotting entrails and heads of his friends and family. Its eyes were dead and lifeless and they focused on Weiss instantly. It lunged, he sidestepped and instantly shielded her with his body and fell to the side, just avoiding the mandibles who wanted to slice her in two. He pulled out his sword and began slicing away. He chopped off a limb. Then he slid underneath and sliced it completely in half. It's venom glands burst, leaving burning tracks on his back but he didn't care. She was safe.

Then he saw Weiss suddenly slap her arms in annoyance. A spider had bit her. He screamed. Fear. Anger. Hatred. He thought he was at the end. He thought he could save her. Why? Why him? There was no going back. Even though he knew this wasn't real. He still didn't want to see it. She moaned and doubled over.

Her skull tore open and spider mandibles erupted from her face. She screamed in pain. And began to vomit. Dry at first but small black blobs emerged. Soon she was vomiting spiders and they started swarming out of her mouth. Covering everything. Ripping her apart. Slowly biting her. Her eyes staring into his as she blamed him. He slowly started to sink into the painful hell. Slowly they covered him. Into every orifice, they swarmed. Biting. Rending. Tearing.

**_23:09:02 hours_ **

He woke up screaming. As he always did. A spark of hardlight smacked into the overhead lamp, causing it to shake and flicker violently.

He was surprised to see Weiss at the far end of the hallway instantaneously lift her head in worry. She ran over to him and looked at him in surprise. He wasn't intrigued. He knew he was in a bad state. His hair messy, his body slick with sweat and his eyes wide, watching. She sat at the edge of the bed trying to understand what got him In such a state. She rested her hand on his forehead and checked his temperature. He was burning up. He still hadn't said a word. She scooted closer and asked him what the matter was. But he just stared into blankness, his legs folded and arms wrapped around them, letting his forehead sink into his knees. The image was all too fresh in his head... her skull bursting open into a fresh hell. She got up and began to walk away. He felt bittersweet. She was leaving him alone and he didn't want her to go, he needed her close to him... something about her presence made him feel slightly safe. Maybe it was knowing that she was safe and next to him that brought up some sort of calmness to him, but this way he'd probably get more time to deal with his feelings.

So he was quite surprised when he saw her return with two mugs of hot chocolate and sit down next to him. She hesitated for a moment but said:

"Look, I know we don't know each other all that well, but I'm still worried about you. As far as I can tell... well," she paused, her eyes widening and promptly looking away, then continued, "You're a good person. And for all I might say otherwise, a good friend."

Sigbjorn was surprised. She'd tried hard to get this out. The fact that she said it without downplaying it (as he assumed she normally would, given her usual attitude) told him that she was trying to help. She cared.

"You don't deserve to be in pain. Not alone. So, you can tell me what's happening."

He saw that she had concern in her eyes. Real, human, concern. He wasn't used to seeing it directed at him.

"Thanks," he said.

She told him to get on with the story. So he told her. About his nightmares. And how they plagued him. They had been a constant in his life since... a long time.

"I was an only child in a small town in Anima in the middle of nowhere. Born to two loving parents who cared for me in what way they could. I had two aunts who dropped in from time to time. When I was 3 one of my aunts unlocked my aura and began training me. I never knew her name, but she always said that we were alike in more ways than one.

"I discovered my Semblance within the week.

"When I was 6 the town was swarmed with Grimm. I saw the fool that left the gates open. It was no mistake. His scorpion tail and wild eyes were known throughout the village as the eyes of a madman who wanted to watch the world burn. I saw him poison our chieftain days ago. I told my parents but they never believed me. This had started happening after my aunt had unlocked my Semblance. They were... scared... of me. I rushed into the woods to find more proof when I saw a Beowolf bearing down on my only friend: Diamond. My anger and fear condensed and I slashed down with my Semblance. Till that point, my creations were peaceful and whimsical. Every time I tried summoning weapons they were large and clunky and too wide to use. But I learned how to harness my purpose and commitment. When I looked down my hand was clutching a katana. Similar to the one my aunt tried to make me summon. That's why I use a katana. It's an embodiment of my commitment to purpose and single-mindedly taking down the enemy.

"But the damage was done. Nobody would believe that we had seen a Grimm. Maybe because we were just kids. Maybe because they didn't want to break their illusion of peace. And a week after that... that's when the real attack happened. There were too many Grimm. My father, mother, I and a couple of other Hunters tried to hold them off, but nothing worked. We ran into the basement with some survivors to make a stand because we were about to be overrun. Dad and Mom told Diamond and I to go hide upstairs. I didn't want to... but I did..."Sigbjorn turned his head to avoid eye contact, staring down at the floor on his right."I can still hear their screams. The Grimm... Diamond was in total shock, but I remember being scared... scared to death and angry. That's how they located us... me."

Weiss' hand began to move. It stopped in hesitation for a moment but ultimately made its way to his. Sigbjorn barely took notice, absorbed in the past.

"Shut up," whispered Weiss.

"What?" asked Sigbjorn, confused.

"Stop it, Sigbjorn," said Weiss.

He seemed surprised.

"Look, I'm sorry if I got too in-depth. It's just that the details are seared in my head. Once I start, it's hard to stop. You probably didn't want to hear all that anyway. Sorry."

She looked at him and shook her head. "I didn't mean that. I meant that whatever happened wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself."

He looked at her for a few moments. Weiss didn't know how he would react. She was a complete stranger. But a lopsided grin soon appeared on his face. "Thanks," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She blushed and looked flustered, but reciprocated. "Y-you're welcome."

Sigbjorn looked at her, sitting on the stool next to his bed, it was late and it was just them, he could hear her breathing along with the buzz of the flickering ceiling light overhead.

"How about you close your eyes and maybe I could read you something to help you sleep better?" Weiss suggested, looking at Sigbjorn with a calming expression and soft eyes.

"I guess we could try that," Sigbjorn replied smiling at her.

He lay down and heard her voice begin to soothe him over. She was telling him a story. He'd heard this one before but he didn't care about the story. He only cared about her voice. A singer's voice. Angel-like. Smooth and low, lulling him back to sleep. He was afraid of the nightmare coming, he felt suffocated and got up with a gasp grabbing Weiss's hand. She calmly continued telling him the story but was suddenly filled with questions. Why did he have these nightmares? Why was his back so scarred?

And why was he holding her hand? Was it for support as a good friend or... perhaps as an indication of something more? She didn't know which but her heart wanted to gravitate towards the second. She didn't comprehend why but she was certain that in time he would tell her... there was no point of forcing him into it.

Weiss stopped and looked at Sigbjorn's hand holding hers, then at Sigbjorn who was gasping for breath and looking at her with so much concern... she'd never seen anyone look at her like that... she looked away because she felt her face burning up.

Sigbjorn propped himself up and adjusted the pillows to support his back against the cold metal that was the bed frame.

"I'm sorry... I don't think it's gonna work, nothing has, and probably nothing will," he said, a hint of dejection in his voice. He looked back up and said, "It's fine... I'm used to this. I... I need to--"

Weiss narrowed her eyes and sighed which made a strand of hair that was falling over her eyes fly out and fall to the side of her face. Sigbjorn couldn't help but smile at her.

"What?!" Weiss exclaimed catching Sigbjorn goofily smiling at her, she could feel the heat creeping from the sides of her face.

"Nothing... that hair thing was just... nothing..." Sigbjorn mumbled.

Weiss smiled at him and ran her hand through his hair. It was a tangled mess... sticking out in all directions. Her fingers combed through it, trying to smooth it down.  
Sigbjorn felt like a little pup who was being stroked to sleep... with one deep breath, he was asleep peacefully. Quite unusual for him.

Weiss smiled at him sleeping, she felt happy and knowing that he was peacefully snoring away. She got up and pulled the sheets up to his shoulder. Immediately, a leg popped out from the side, making her giggle. She took one last look at him before she turned away and walked back towards her ward.


	21. The Past, Present and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ruby asks Ozpin about SRDS' history, Team SRDS begins pooling all their leads together and Silver reflects on his encounter with them in the Emerald Forest.

**_ Beacon Academy, main tower, 09:17:28 _ **

As Ruby took the elevator to Professor Ozpin's Room, she pondered over her actions. On one hand, she wanted to know what SRDS was hiding from them. On the other, she felt like it wasn't her place to try and snoop around. Every team was entitled to their secrets and she didn't want to intrude on that right, but she cared too deeply for her team to risk anything. So she steeled herself and walked out of the elevator, hoping to leave with the answers she wanted.

As she approached the desk where Professor Ozpin sat, facing the glass window in front of him, she began to pick up on the atmosphere in the room. To describe the mood as tense would be an understatement.

As Ozpin heard her approaching he turned to face her, and although he was sporting his signature enigmatic smile, the worry in his eyes wasn't doing a good job of hiding itself.

"Ah, Miss Rose! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Good morning, Professor Ozpin. I came to ask you something. When we were talking to team SRDS after we fought Silver, it seemed like they knew each other somehow."

How did SRDS know Silver? There were theories among her teammates.

Someone they angered on one of their missions, perhaps?

A tale of a villain and some do-gooders giving chase (as she had thought)?

Or was it nothing, her assumptions false?

Ruby just hoped it was nothing bad.

But then Ozpin's face sank. And for a moment Ruby saw the eyes of a man who knew much more than he let on. As if his spirit was somehow older and wiser than the rest of him. But in a moment it disappeared.

"Ah yes," Ozpin said, pausing to inhale deeply, "SRDS and Silver. Does Team SRDS know you are here?" asked Ozpin with a knowing smile on his face.

"No, but-"

"It is not my place to freely share the history of students or their education. But I assume you possess noble intentions, mainly keeping your team safe."

Ruby nodded.

"Very well. I shall attempt to illuminate this matter for you."

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad she didn't have to explain herself. Her thoughts were conflicting, turbulent, and she wasn't sure she could explain them in enough detail. She wondered how many students or leaders like this Ozpin had dealt with to be so experienced to know. It was as if he had read her thoughts.

"However I must ask you to keep the matter a secret. Your team may know, but no one else. And one more request: I beseech you to not discuss this meeting with Team SRDS until I inform them first. I'll do so briefly, but in the meantime, you must act as if nothing happened," Ozpin stated, then feeling the need to clarify, he further added, "There are some sensitive elements involved. If SRDS should find out, as I expect they will, I would rather they first hear it from me than anyone else. It will be less damaging to your relations with them in the long run."

"Of course. You can count on me."

Ruby's trepidation was beginning to grow. She was nervous about what was to come. She came into Ozpin's room looking for answers, but she wasn't sure she wanted them anymore, especially given Ozpin's requests for secrecy.

"Now miss Rose, would you mind passing me your scroll for a minute? I would need to authenticate the data transfer with my fingerprint. The video does count as classified material."

"Classified material? Team SRDS?" thought Ruby. She was now confused and her face was beginning to show it.

Ozpin chuckled, "Ah yes. Why is a Huntsman Team's history classified? Well, the Atlas military has strict procedures when it comes to dealing with data regarding their intelligence operatives. Not even I am exempt from them. Now, if you don't mind, miss Rose," said Ozpin as he gently took Ruby's scroll from her hands.

A series of beeps emanated from the scroll, followed by an electronic, monotone voice that confirmed Ozpin's identity.

"That should be all for now, Miss Rose. Have a nice day."

Ruby turned and walked out of the office, her mind still reeling from the bomb Ozpin had dropped on her. Her new friends were intelligence agents and she now had their past in her scroll. Her answers.

_Do I want to open it?_

She took a deep breath. Silver had attacked them, and he had information on them. If there was something her team had to know, she was going to share it with them.

But equally worried was she about Team SRDS. Until now, they seemed like good friends. They had helped her team and she was genuinely grateful for that. But was the information they were hiding going to change that? She hoped not.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Ruby said as she pressed the ground floor button.

Ozpin nodded as the doors slid shut.

* * *

Ruby opened the dorm door to find Yang, Weiss and Blake eagerly waiting for the hastily-called team meeting to begin. Ruby motioned for all of them to come over to Weiss' bed, which was opposite their television screen.

"Are you alright Ruby? You don't look so good," Yang said, concerned.

"Yeah. I needed a meeting because I went to go talk to Ozpin to find out more about SRDS" Ruby responded.

Blake's face started to show her disapproval. "You went to Ozpin to find out their secrets? That's kind of a low blow, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, feeling partly guilty, "But I learned something important. SRDS are intelligence operatives. And in my scroll," Ruby pointed, "I've got their records and information. I wanted to watch it together as a team because I feel that Silver is somehow connected to Team SRDS. He was involved in a mission which targeted us," Ruby said, looking at Weiss for a brief moment, "And from whatever we've seen of him, he's no slouch. We'll need all the information we can get in case something similar happens again."

Ruby booted up her scroll and connected it to the T.V. She went to the directory Ozpin had downloaded onto her device and opened it up. She saw one main database and ran a search for 'Silver'. A few files popped up and she began going through them, her teammates watching in silence.

The first was a document that contained the official information for two teams. Sure enough, one of them was Team SRDS. The other was Team FRST, interestingly enough the first file suggested. She sighed, clicked on SRDS' folder, and began to read.

_Notice: This file was last updated 4 days ago._

_Team SRDS (Stardust)_

_Members: Sigbjorn Phoenix, Ross Auburn, Diamond Jet, Steele Snow_

_Led by: Sigbjorn Phoenix_

_Date of formation: 20/03/2064_

Ruby took note right away that Team SRDS was formed 9 years ago. She could see her teammates expressing the same surprise as her.

_9 years... they've been hunting for 9 years?_

_Notes: Intended to work alongside Team FRST (Forest) as intelligence for missions. Their role was determined post-assessment of trials conducted on 17/01/2066 (scroll below)._

_Trained in digital, social and covert information-gathering and communication techniques. Limited access to classified documents and information regarding politics, trade, communications._

_Combat skills and experience less than par-Hunter standard; equivalent to (if slightly less than) first-year teams of Beacon and Atlas Academies. More experienced in dealing with human and Faunus threats. Less effective in Grimm encounters due to lack of training and [redacted]._

_Timeline of notable events are as follows:_

_Steele Snow joins [Codename: Woodcutter]'s accelerated asset development program: 08/09/2063_

_Ross Auburn joins the program: 07/01/2064_

_Sigbjorn Phoenix & Diamond Jet join the program: 18/03/2064_

_Team SRDS and FRST are officially formed: 20/03/2064_

_Training in unconventional warfare techniques commences: 21/03/2064_

_Note: Nearly every member displayed little to no hesitation when it came to applying social engineering techniques on civilian elements save Ross Auburn, Diamond Jet and Tan of Team FRST (mentioned in this SRDS file due to friendly relations between teams which may affect attitudes to training). They expressed a notable amount of resistance when it came to using the civilians for the mission's sake. This indicates a rather morally firm, naïve attitude unsuitable for the program. May need correction._

_Specialisation in semblance training and enhancement commences: 21/03/2065_

_Note: While all the subjects displayed above-average intelligence when it came to tactical manoeuvres and strategies, Silver Cerulean and Steele Snow exhibit a prodigious talent for foresight. They achieve near-perfect scores when it comes to tests that involve strategic forward-thinking and are also able to make solid backup strategies when the chances of failure of a pre-existing plan are high._

_It is easy to derive the source of Silver's enhanced prediction capabilities seeing as his semblance aids him to some degree and the rest is achieved through native intellect and conscientious attention to fine details. It appears that Steele emulates the same results using purely his intellect._

_Comparing them, Silver provides more detailed analyses than Steele when able to use Aura. Without it, his capabilities are reduced and his performance is comparable to the other subjects. Steele's scores appear to be independent of Aura use, and he displays the highest intelligence quotient of all subjects._

_When improvisation is tested, both perform below average, though it must be kept in mind that with their talents there will rarely be a situation where they would not possess a plan to counter their environment. Another factor to note is that in a team-based assignment, they may opt to rely on their allies for more spontaneous approaches, most notably Ross and Tan._

_First placement battle between team SRDS and FRST: 06/04/2065_

_Outcome: Team SRDS victorious by a margin of 60%_

_Information Extraction Training commences: 10/05/2065_

_Note: Most subjects performed well, though they showed visible reluctance upon realising that they may need to use extreme methods._

_Again, Diamond and Tan show so much hesitation they fail the course. Diamond firmly refused to partake despite repeated instruction, although he displayed a better understanding of the methods being used than some other subjects. He showed discomfort upon being told he would be marked as a failure. Tan participated but was unable to make it to the end without showing very visible signs of distress and hence was unable to meet the pass requirements._

_On the other hand, Silver and Sigbjorn show exceptional aptitude for the course. Both excelled at applying the techniques to captured combatants, although Sigbjorn was more merciful in his approach. Silver rarely took the time to approach the situation with a gentler perspective. Possible psychopathy?_

_SERE and Infiltration Training commences: 12/01/2066_

_Note: Ross's use of the semblance makes him an expert at evasion and escape seeing as his manipulation of the terrain is undetectable even with thermal and photographic sensors._

_Second Placement battle commences: 17/01/2066_

_Team FRST wins by a margin of 69%, marking them as the main combat team for missions henceforth. Team SRDS assignments shifted to intelligence gathering, though they will not be excluded from missions.  
_

_Individual martial arts training commences: 18/01/2066_

_Sigbjorn Phoenix: Trains in anatomical weak point deconstruction. Specialist in Jiu-jitsu and bone and tendon manipulation. Excellent for one-on-one duels. Not very efficient at taking down multiple combatants._

_Ross Auburn: Trains in Judo and wrestling at an advanced level. His enhanced mass allows for more weight to be used for opponent manipulation. Good at neutralising both single and multiple combatants._

_Diamond Jet: Trains in boxing, Taekwondo and Shinobi-iri at an advanced level. Excels in stealth scenarios, and can deal with single opponents that possess a low or moderate knowledge of martial arts but is ineffective when paired with enemies of a high calibre._

_Steele Snow: Trains in Semblance-enhanced combat. Group-focused and crowd-control-based. Basic Wing Chun along with Aikido. Good at neutralising multiple combatants but inefficient when dealing with single combatants with high skill._

_1st Joint mission with both teams for enemy capture and execution commences: 1/01/2068_

_Observed Enemy casualties: 35_

_Observed Civilian casualties: 3_

_Note: Sigbjorn did not take well to the deaths of civilians. Ironically, he scored the most enemy casualties with a total of 12. Diamond, Tan and Ross all scored a zero, preferring to capture combatants instead._

_1st Joint mission for infiltration commences: 1/03/2068_

_Observed Enemy casualties: 23_

_Observed Civilian casualties: 0_

_Note: Sigbjorn's use of a live combatant to gain access to enemy buildings was commendable. While most members of both teams (excluding Diamond, Tan and Ross) executed any enemy combatant they encountered, Sigbjorn used one he encountered to extract information and speed up the timeframe of the attack._

_1st solo mission for Sigbjorn and Steele for undercover intelligence gathering commences: 29/04/2068_

_Note: After spending 6 months undercover they were able to apply their social engineering skills to such a degree that they were able to supply actionable intelligence almost 300 times faster than traditional agents._

_1st solo mission for Sigbjorn and Diamond for SIGINT collection and collation commences: 13/11/2068_

_The results were exceptional. The program developed by the two of them has led to an increase in White Fang related arrests by almost 174%. Through GPS triangulation, EMF analysis and covert data harvesting, numerous White Fang camps have been dismantled with their members being detained in a secure facility._

_1st Solo military reconnaissance mission with Ross and Diamond commences: 13/11/2068_

_Results: Exceptional. With Ross's use of his semblance to map out the layout of the enemy base coupled with Diamond's infiltration which yielded personnel numbers along with weapons and vehicle details, the mission proceeded with zero casualties._

Ruby continued scrolling the files, reading off one successful mission after another. She was impressed. While they weren't trained for Grimm battles, it would have been a mistake to call them inexperienced. They were precise, efficient and sometimes deadly. She shuddered. To think they seemed so friendly and easy-going when she met them. If only she knew how dangerous they were. Her attention was beginning to wane until she saw a mission report that caught her eye.

_Mission #20_

_Dismantling of the Human Purification Front: 19/11/2071_

Blake's eyes widened.

"The Human Purification Front? I know that name! They were an extremist anti-Faunus group. They butted heads with the White Fang and were known for their ruthless approach when it came to Faunus or anyone even connected to them. They killed a lot of good people."

_The Status field bore one word: Failure._

The mood darkened instantly and Ruby felt a chill going down her spine. RWBY had gone through their missions and had an idea of the stakes of failure. So seeing that one word came as a shock, and the trepidation that lingered afterwards only grew as they read through the description.

_The mission plan was to ambush the Human Purification Front in a clearing where they were about to execute several Faunus civilians. However, a simultaneous Grimm attack on the nearest village caused the two teams to split up. While team FRST put up a good effort as they took down 56 HPF members, two of their members were mortally wounded. Tan received severe injuries to her parietal lobe and was placed in a coma. Silver Cerulean was taken captive (MIA, presumed KIA), transported off-site and tortured (see file: HPF) until Team SRDS and Atlas forces arrived to help a day later. Five Faunus civilians and two members of Team FRST were pronounced KIA, with Tan being rendered inactive._

_Following this, Silver repeatedly missed counselling and training sessions to begin unauthorized vigilante action on the remaining HPF members._

Ruby and her teammates sat there in stunned silence. Silver was once a huntsman and a close friend of team SRDS. But he had gone rogue because of a mission gone horribly. At such a young age, they had already lost three of their friends. Ruby couldn't wrap her head around it. How much had they gone through? She continued reading.

_Mission #64_

_The capture of Rogue HPF members. Status: Failure._

In this report, there wasn't a writeup, but instead a video recording from a CCTV camera. She pressed play and the recording fizzed into life.

_"We know you were there in the forest," A dark figure was standing in front of a heavily injured man surrounded by Atlas soldiers._

_"We know you killed those huntsmen. Any more lies and I start using my semblance."_

_A hard light blade whirred out of the figure's hand, Ruby and Weiss collectively gasped._

_"Leave it, #1. He won't listen."_

_A second lankier figure walked up to the injured man and started to cut his bonds and pick him up. The man was focused on Sigbjorn and so did not pay attention when the second figure pressed the chunk of dust he had just picked up against his thigh. Too late he looked down as the Dust activated and seeped into his skin, causing microfractures and internal bleeding. His screams echoed across the room._

All of Team RWBY but Blake were wearing a horrified expression on their faces.

_Maybe it was the Atlas soldiers who had done a poor job of securing the building. Maybe the HPF soldiers were exceptionally good at hiding. Maybe both. But whatever the reason was, it let an armed combatant rush into the room and try to free his comrade. The darkness behind him moved as it kicked him forward and the ground rose in an attempt to trip him and knock him to the ground. The man was neutralised, but Sigbjorn had other ideas. As the man fell to the ground, he dashed over to him and summoned a hard light billy club. He simply angled the edge of it where he predicted the man's mouth would be as he fell. And as his face neared the club, the edge extended towards his mouth and smashed his teeth in. The crunch sound was quite audible. The club disappeared, and the man covered his mouth. A bleeding, broken mess._

Ruby was shocked. Were these the same people who were eating lunch with them yesterday? Her friends? They seemed so different. Almost like monsters.

_"I remember you," Sigbjorn said, his voice seething with anger._

_"Yeah, the briefing told me about you. You're an HPF foot soldier, but you had a knack for cutting off the animal parts of Faunus didn't you? They called you the Mistral Mutilator."_

_Blake's ears stiffened and her hair stood on end as she heard the name._

_"You're responsible for what happened to Silver."_

_With each passing word, the colour of Sigbjorn's hardlight became more and more crimson._

_"I'm going to make sure you never hurt anyone ever again."_

_Sigbjorn raised his hardlight club again, ready to strike when he was interrupted by Diamond._

_"He's not worth it #1. Leave him."_

_Sigbjorn's eyes blazed as he struggled with the idea, but he eventually let the hard-light fade into nothingness._

Ruby saw that she had reached the end of the video as presented from one camera. But now a second perspective from a different camera allowed her team to view the outside of the building. She noticed something else as well. The timestamp for the second camera appeared to be a day later. 

_Sigbjorn, Steele and some Atlas guards were watching over the captured HPF members. A Bullhead landed and ejected what looked like two high-tech metal matchboxes. Ruby understood that the boxes were meant to transport prisoners. She saw as the Atlas soldiers loaded one box with around 15 HPF grunts, and reserved the second only for the Mutilator. He was a high-value target and deserved 'special treatment'._

_At the moment where all the guards had stepped back to allow for the forcefield to activate, the box containing the grunts caught on fire, sealing them inside. The cries of the men inside were bone-chilling. Ruby could see the Mutilator bearing an expression of confusion at first, and sheer panic as he saw what was happening through the blue force field. His breathing grew more and more frantic as he looked at his ex-compatriots burning alive in front of him._

_The Huntsmen rushed over to the box and tried to open the force field. It was made from Hardlight Dust, so Sigbjorn was concentrating on opening it up. It was going well until the Mutilator shouted from the other box._

_"Why can't you save them?! FASTER! They'll burn to death alive!"_

_Unfortunately for his men, this broke Sigbjorn's concentration. He lost his progress, and the forcefield shut, leaving the men to die._

_The guards looked to the two Huntsmen for help, who were equally as confused by the turn of events until Steele pointed to a high rise building a mile away, and when they viewed the building with binoculars, their body language changed. They stiffened._ _The two huntsmen sat down and didn't take their eyes off the building._

Ruby could guess as to who was responsible. 

_Then the box with the Mutilator caught on fire. Same as before, the force field activated, but this time the two huntsmen walked up to the forcefield and Sigbjorn made a hole wide enough for the Mutilator to crawl through._

_Thanking him, the Mutilator made it halfway through, with his stomach crossing the forcefield, when suddenly he felt the forcefield tighten._

_"Oops, guess I underestimated your waistline," Sigbjorn said as he walked away, Steele in tow._

_"HEY! WAIT! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE! I'LL BURN TO DEATH!" the man shouted, his voice barely containing his panic._

_"No. You won't. Your vital organs have crossed the threshold. You won't be able to walk... but you'll stay scared, won't you? You might pass out from the pain, but that's a risk I'll have to take. Good night."_

With that, the video feed ended.

Ruby turned off the television. She couldn't watch anymore. It was sickening. The world was a scary place, and the things she had just seen made her doubt if Grimm were the worst things out there. She was strangely grateful to Team SRDS for handling these threats. However, she couldn't get the image of the screaming men out of her head. She was still shocked by their methods. They were experienced killers. It made her wonder how different killing Grimm was from killing humans. After a moment, she felt glad her job didn't have her take the lives of people. She didn't know if she could do it.

She turned back to her team. All of which had different reactions. Blake sported something that looked like admiration as she looked at the screen. Yang had a grimace on her face, for once her carefree attitude was absent. Weiss had nothing short of abject horror in her eyes.

"So, I guess we got our answers. They're trained by Atlas, and they're probably here to learn how to handle Grimm."

"I'm glad we had a chance to meet them," said Blake. "It's not every day that you find the people who took down the Mistral Mutila--"

"Took down?! They brutalised the man! They clearly could have saved him! They're monsters!" Weiss said angrily.

Blake turned to Weiss, disdain written across her face.

"Why do you care so much about what happened to the Mistral Mutilator? He was a disgusting piece of filth. And they knew it. Besides, you talk like they acted irrationally! They were avenging a teammate who had been tortured!"

"That doesn't matter! Nobody should have to go through something like that-"

"You can't be serious, do you even know what the Mutilator did?! He'd cut off ears, tails, horns or any other trait that Faunus would have, in an attempt to make them 'pure'. They'd usually die due to blood loss or else live with trauma. If they died, their family couldn't even claim the body because the authorities would say that the Faunus killed couldn't be confirmed to be from the family due to the absence of traits. I knew a neighbour who had made it out of one of these death camps, and when she came back home, she barely lasted a week before she--" Blake's voice became sombre in tone, "Before they found her in her room hanging from the ceiling".

This piece of information effectively silenced the room. Weiss had no counter, and Blake was trying her best to hold back tears. Ruby placed a hand on Blake's shoulder to provide support.

"I'm sorry," Weiss finally spoke, followed by some more silence as they processed everything.

"Listen, Mutilator or not, immoral actions or not, they hid this from us. _All_ of this," Yang said, her eyes clearly expressing her anger, "If they can't trust us, I can't trust them."

"I think that we're jumping to conclusions too quickly," Ruby finally said. She looked at Weiss and Blake, "We've read their file and seen them at their lowest point: I don't think that we should judge them based on that."

She turned to Yang and said, "Yes, they've kept information from us. But we do know them as people; they're people who fought alongside us and have been nothing but friendly to us so far. They might have just withheld it because they had no other choice. If we were in their place, wouldn't we? So I say we do the same: let's be cautious but friendly. They seem to have gone through a lot, so I think we should try to be more understanding."

Her teammates mulled it over. She hoped that she was correct, that it _was_ _indeed_ the right thing to do.

Yang glared at the ground angrily for a few moments. Then, she let out a breath and her expression softened.

"Fine," said Yang. She looked at her sister and nodded, "That makes sense. But if I think that anything seems fishy, or that they're lying to us again, I won't hesitate to punch them into the ground."

Blake nodded, "That's fair."

Everyone's attention was now on Weiss. This was a lot to take in. She remembered Sigbjorn telling her about his past in the infirmary. It wasn't like they were purposefully withholding information so that her team was hurt. They were just being cautious, and could they be blamed for that?

"I agree," Weiss said.

"Alright," Ruby said, breathing a sigh of relief that her teammates agreed with her. At least she hadn't let them down.

But what about SRDS? How would they react? She wished they could still be friends with her team. They had helped each other in the forest, and they could continue doing so. After all, if an old ally had turned against them, perhaps they could do with new ones.

* * *

**_ Beacon Academy, Infirmary _ **

Ross walked over the grey footpath leading him back to the dorms. It was calm, he noticed. Students were milling about their day as usual. He gathered it was a normal weekend at the school. Nobody had any idea about the incident in the forest, which led him to believe that Team RWBY hadn't told anyone anything.

 _Damn good_ , he thought. The last thing he or any of his teammates wanted was negative attention. It had been two days since the altercation in the forest. No contact had been made between Team SRDS or Team RWBY since yesterday at lunch. Mostly genial discussions about weapons and video games, though he could tell that there was some frostiness from their end, most notably Yang and Blake. Sigbjorn and Weiss were in the infirmary then.

He was headed there to check on Sigbjorn. He had wanted to check up on him immediately after but wasn't sure whether this was a good idea. After a few inputs from Diamond and Steele, Ross decided that the best thing to do would be to give Sigbjorn some time. Diamond had said that Sigbjorn needed to recover as much as possible before he saw one of them. He would be itching to get out of the hospital and be with his team regardless of his condition. If any of them approached him, Sigbjorn might be compelled to take action to get out of the hospital before he was fully recovered. Steele agreed, "It's not the smartest thing to do, but it definitely sounds like him. Let him take a day or two."

Ross admired this drive. He believed that is why Sigbjorn was the leader. He always involved himself, whether it was hanging out or on a mission. His skills during combat or any other time when they were needed were not to be questioned. He was true and fair to his allies and friends. He stood up for them no matter who he was standing up to. His teammates were his brothers.

These thoughts dissipated as quickly as they appeared and Ross found himself focused on his surroundings. The infirmary building was just up ahead. Ross knocked before opening the door. He was greeted by a nurse sitting at the front desk.

"I'm here to meet Sigbjorn Phoenix. I'm his teammate, Ross Auburn." Ross said to the nurse.

"Ward 13. Sign here," said the nurse, barely looking up from the paperwork on her desk as she handed Ross a register. Looked blank, except for one entry which told him Weiss had been discharged about three hours ago. Ross nodded (not that she was looking), signed and followed the signs to Ward 13.

He texted the team's chat to let them know the ward number. There were 7 on each floor; 13 was on the floor above. Jogging up the flight of stairs, he made his way to the second door on his left. Wooden, with a jagged 13 carved into it.

He knocked and opened the door to find Sigbjorn lying down on the bed with a tennis ball in his hand, looking at Ross as he entered.

"How are you doing?" Ross asked.

"Fine," came the reply. Ross dragged a chair nearby and sat himself down, looking about. The place was sparsely furnished. Medical equipment, a dustbin, and a ceiling light above the bed. It was turned off and looked severely damaged. Ross frowned. Was it already like this, or...?

"What'd that poor lamp ever do to you?"

Sigbjorn sighed and shook his head, "It's nothing."

The door opened again to let in Steele, followed by Diamond. Steele was dressed in a lab coat and had a frown on his forehead. Diamond's hair was slick with sweat and his jacket was slung over his shoulder.

"Hey," Diamond said with a short bounce of his eyebrows.

"Wow, looks like you gave that training dummy some hell," Ross smirked.

"Shut up," Diamond retorted, plunking down into a chair, then looked at Sigbjorn, "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Says you after hitting that lamp," Ross said. Steele and Diamond simultaneously turned their heads to look at it.

"... you've had another nightmare, haven't you?" Diamond said. Steele simply gave Sigbjorn a worried look.

"Yeah, I did. But-- look, it's fine. I'm fine, we handled it last night. In fact, I've slept like a baby since then," Sigbjorn explained.

"Wait, "we"?" Diamond asked.

"Weiss," Steele and Sigbjorn said simultaneously. Sigbjorn glared at Steele before quickly saying, "Yeah, look she just heard me and, well, she was helpful. Now, let's get on with it."

Diamond sighed. He hoped Sigbjorn was telling the truth. Equally, he was apprehensive about the next part of the discussion, but Sigbjorn was right: they had to move forward.

"Alright," Steele spoke up, "So, now that we're all face-to-face, let's talk about the elephant in the room," he put his hands on the wall behind him to lean on it, "Silver's back. And it appears that he's coming after us."

Diamond noticed Ross redirect his attention to the floor, lightly tapping the armchair with his index finger. Sigbjorn's jaw was locked as he stared first at himself, then to the side at the monitor next to him. Steele simply stared directly ahead. Diamond sighed and looked downward. So this was it. They were going to talk about Silver.

"You two were the ones who fought him," Sigbjorn said.

"We took him by surprise at first, but it turned out to be a close fight, even with Ruby and Blake on our side. He retreated after a while, but he seemed keen on fighting us," Steele said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah... he seemed pretty mad," Diamond said, "Those slashes didn't seem like mock blows."

"They weren't," Steele responded, "Any case, he was distracting Ruby and Blake from reaching Weiss and Yang. They had a communications disruptor, hence why we weren't able to contact each other once we entered the forest."

"I have a theory," Ross said, leaning back in his chair, hand on his chin. He took a deep breath as his teammates looked at him.

"I think Silver is being forced to work with the White Fang."

Diamond began with a frown, "Yeah, Ross, about that one--"

"No, no, just hear me out," Ross argued, gesturing with his hands, "He was holding them back from the White Fang, right? But he wasn't _with_ the actual White Fang guys."

"There was a White Fang assassin with him," Sigbjorn said. He thought about it, "Maybe she was there to keep an eye on him?"

Steele shook his head, "Silver seemed to be calling the shots."

Diamond nodded in agreement, "He was definitely the higher authority of the two. She kept looking at him for orders."

"Okay, but still," Ross tried to argue, "What if--"

"Silver said to me that this isn't about the White Fang," Steele interrupted.

"...you honestly believe him?" Sigbjorn asked with a stern face.

"Even if I don't, it's still more likely that he wasn't being forced to work with them. If he didn't want to be there, he could've easily turned on the assassin working with him: a 3 to 1 advantage if he turned early and 5 to 1 if he did when we arrived. Either would result in an assured victory. But he didn't," Steele said with a sombre expression.

"Hard to argue that..."

"And as we said, he was fighting as if he meant it," Diamond said.

Ross slumped into his chair, shaking his head slowly. Silver being against them: the thought wasn't one he wanted to entertain.

"I think it's best to make our next move keeping in mind that Silver is working against us," Steele finally declared.

Ross sighed. What Steele said made sense. Sigbjorn seemed to agree. Diamond too, though he seemed reluctant about it.

"So are we going to talk about it?" Diamond asked, "This is _Silver_ we're dealing with."

Sigbjorn sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hadn't expected it to come to this. Not so soon, anyway. So far, they hadn't a shred of concrete evidence as to where Silver might be, so for him to have a drop on them like this was alarming.

But Sigbjorn was no idiot. If Silver had emerged out of the blue, he must have left some clue or another. He'd have to have acted quickly for them to not see it coming, and knowing Silver, there was a good chance he made some kind of mistake or traceable action, something he didn't bother to cover.

"Before we do anything, we need some information. Some options," Sigbjorn said, "Then we can discuss what to do with Silver. Sounds good?"

His teammates nodded their assent.

"Great. Let's lay everything out on the table first. Did we get anywhere with the hard drive?"

"Eh, it's still decrypting with Ozpin," Steele said, "But I do have something. The assassin Silver was working with."

He pulled out a vial from the pocket of his lab coat, placing it on the table for everyone to see.

"A distilled sample of the liquid in her knife. As suspected, it's a poison. A haemotoxin, going by the clotting pattern when it comes into contact with blood. Causes undue amounts of fibrinogen to condense in blood vessels, leading to reduced and/or more pressurized blood flow."

"Yeah, that's another thing I didn't get. Why would someone use poison? It was effective when people didn't have Aura. Now, most people know about it. Especially Hunters," Diamond said, "But it's also unlikely for her to be underprepared like that."

"Exactly," Steele said, "So either she didn't know who was dealing with, which she did, remember the messages? Or... there's a method to bypass Aura's poison resistance."

Steele witnessed their eyes widen.

"What do you mean?

"In theory, your Aura shouldn't be able to harm yourself, like a healthy immune system of sorts. Therefore, it must be able to recognise you via some mechanism. Now, there's a lot of theories as to what that mechanism is: your 'inner soul'" Steele said, showing his disdain with air quotes and a roll of his eyes, "and a bunch of others. Now one theory I dug up from an old Mistral biologist's publications was that the mechanism is DNA. It makes sense to me; it's the one item almost every cell in your body contains and it's unique to you."

"So?" Ross asked.

"I was able to isolate DNA strands within the liquid."

"You're such a damn nerd," Ross smirked, shaking his head slightly. Steele simply cocked his head sideways as if he agreed, then continued:

"So I took a DNA sample from my cheek cells. Separated the toxin into two parts, removed any prior DNA they contained and added my DNA in one. I then added both samples to drops of my blood and compared them."

"What happened?"

Steele pulled out his Scroll and opened a microscope image.

"Lysis--death of both red and white cells only occurred when I added the toxin containing my DNA. I'm thinking the DNA helps the toxin to function without interference from Aura."

"Cool," Diamond and Sigbjorn said in unison.

"Interesting, I know. But it means that she probably has DNA samples of everyone Silver intended to target; namely us and Team RWBY. We know she was working as a spy based on the texts between her and Silver. If she was in Beacon, she must've had plenty of opportunities; a simple hair would suffice."

"Combine that with the fact that Silver knew the Huntress' semblances, and I think we're dealing with some kind of spy," Diamond said, then remembered something from the fight, "I think she was trying to control her toxins back in the forest. Nothing happened, though it could just be the weather."

"Good eye," Steele said, then looked at Sigbjorn.

"Yeah, it's a lead," Sigbjorn said, "If that's her semblance, it can identify her. Try going through the criminal records."

"Do we have anything else?"

"So... the guy leading the White Fang back there was Roman Torchwick," said Ross, "Someone Team RWBY have tussled with before."

"Yeah. The logos on the gear we found? His crew's," Diamond said.

"Another angle we can explore," Sigbjorn said, "If Roman and Silver were working together, he might know Silver's current whereabouts."

"You think we should speak with Team RWBY? They might be able to help," said Diamond.

"You think they'll talk to us?" Steele asked.

Diamond shrugged. "Worth a shot. Besides, I think they deserve to know about the whole 'spy' business."

"Fair enough," said Sigbjorn.

"We should speak with Ozpin first, though. I have a hunch this is linked to the diplomat business at the carnival," Steele said.

"Wait, you think Silver killed the diplomat?" Ross asked, "what would he do that for?"

"I don't know yet," Steele sighed, "Maybe the hard drive or Ozpin will provide more info. We'll see. Could just be a hunch."

"Alright then, looks like we have a plan," Diamond said, "Steele, Ross, c'mon, let's go talk to Ozpin and RWBY."

"Doctor said he'd discharge me in a while. I'll meet you then," Sigbjorn said as his teammates left the room.

He thought about what had just transpired. Their leads all made sense, they had opportunities. But were they ready? He closed his eyes, going over the memories.   
He sighed as he reopened them. They would probably have to go after him. But saying anything beyond that would be underestimating the situation.

_Yeah... we need information first. Everything else can be decided later._

* * *

_** Elsewhere **   
_

Silver was meditating in the makeshift White Fang hideout. Their kidnapping operation was botched. Not that he cared about White Fang affairs that much; Weiss Schnee only mattered to him as leverage over Sigbjorn. Attraction or not, Sigbjorn would feel responsible once he realised Silver was involved.

To make matters worse, two White Fang grunts hadn't reported back. They could be dead, or worse, captured. Worst case scenario, their hard drives were intact. But that could work out alright. Maybe SRDS didn't find them in recoverable condition, and even if they did, everything in the drive was encoded anyway. But he wouldn't put it past Sigbjorn's abilities. If they found it, they would likely crack it; he didn't need his Semblance to tell him that.

 _It's a race then,_ Silver thought to himself. That was okay. He had a head start.

No, what troubled him most was that Team SRDS had gone by virtually unscathed. Roman claimed he had injured Sigbjorn, but Silver knew that even if that were true, all it would take for Sigbjorn to recover would be a day or two, then they'd be hunting for him. That's why Silver planned on incapacitating at least Diamond or Steele. Maybe both if he were lucky. But he'd underestimated those two girls. Their abilities were not beyond his own, but certainly beyond his expectations. He and Jade were outnumbered and admittedly, outmatched.

_That's it._

_Right?_

_I wasn't able to hurt them for that sole reason. Nothing else._

_I wasn't showing... restraint?_

He considered if he was. That brief moment where he had stopped engaging Steele to ask him if he was surprised.

_No, I did it to catch him off-guard._

And what was that feeling when he saw them after so long? Nostalgia?!

_No, just a little impressed by their entrance. They arrived earlier than I'd expected. But..._

His past flashed before his eyes. When he'd been desperately contacting SRDS on the radio. Practically begging for help as hellfire rained around him and Frost and Rad and Tan. His Semblance told him there was still hope if they made it in time, that all was not lost.

_Why couldn't they make it then?!_

He clenched his fists and growled. They had to pay. SRDS and Ozpin and Ironwood. He would make them and he wouldn't stop until then.


	22. Pressing Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SRDS and Ozpin discuss their strategy regarding Silver.

**_ (A few minutes later) _ **

Steele, Diamond and Ross barely had any time to ponder on their conversation with Sigbjorn when they received a request on their scrolls to come to visit Ozpin's Office.

"Oooooh, somebody's in trouble!" Diamond cooed while looking at Steele. He was not going to miss this chance to tease the most stuck-up and proper teammate. Then the realisation dawned on him: "I don't know why I said that. I'm also in trouble. Shit."

"Well, if he's using the high priority tag, it must be important. I'd rather not keep him waiting."

"I still don't trust him. He seems too... schemey," scowled Ross. He was an easygoing and carefree lad. He disliked the secrets and games that Ozpin was so fond of. Everything was a riddle or a lesson. Sometimes, simple words seemed like they had strategic connotations. It drove him nuts.

"He's always schemey," Diamond said with a sigh. "But you gotta see where he's coming from. Headmaster of Beacon is a pretty influential position; he's essentially fostering the next generation of Hunters and heroes, and he's got authority over the current ones. That gives him some influence."

"Heroes or not, his real influence is his networks," Steele said. "Every other Headmaster seems to listen to him and act upon his advice. The man's a confidant of Ironwood. The General probably keeps secrets from his own mother and yet, he just agreed to hand over our training to the good Headmaster."

 _"Point is, we can't just ignore him,"_ chimed Diamond's scroll.

"AAAAAAAAH! Scrolley has gained sentience!" Diamond yelped. He realised what was happening and cleared his throat."Nice to see the hospital let you use a computer, Sigbjorn."

"They gave me back my Scroll because I told them I wanted to play video games."

They all then heard the starting chimes of Pac-Man emanating from the Scroll.

"Of course," Steele muttered. 

The camera ahead of them swayed from side to side as if shaking its head.

"It's a ruse. I'm going to use your microphone and camera to listen in on the meeting; they won't discharge me until 15 minutes from now."

"Got it, Chief," Diamond responded.

"Don't go snooping around his browser history though," Ross said with a smirk.

"Oh, don't worry, Ross. We all know whose browser history contains what," Diamond shot back.

As the doors slid shut, Ross simply grinned and said, "Well, you're not wrong."

* * *

They found themselves once again in the elevator as it climbed steadily to Ozpin's office. Ross stared outside at Beacon. His foot struck the floor and fingers tapped the side of his leg as if he was drumming a solo. It had only been a few minutes since the discussion about Silver and he was already apprehensive. Silver had betrayed them. That made him angry, but beneath that sourness was bitter grief. He knew why Silver was acting like this.

Perhaps worse, he understood.

_He blames us._

From his peripheral vision, Ross caught Diamond staring directly at him.

"What?"

Diamond continued staring at him for a few moments.

"It's clear as day that you're worried," he finally said. "It's Silver, isn't it?"

Ross' tapping stopped. His gaze sank to the floor.

"You're worried about going after him."

Ross clenched his fists.

"Look, I just don't know whether it's okay for us to do that or not," he said, voicing his thoughts out loud.

"What?! Of course it is!" Steele said.

"We haven't decided what to do yet," Diamond said slowly but firmly. "I don't really know why Ozpin wants to speak to us, but I've got a good hunch that it's going to be about Silver. In case that's what it is, what do we say? My vote is, we just tell him whatever we discussed. We didn't come to any conclusions about what to do with Silver yet."

"Why?" Steele asked. "We know he's coming after us. Why not go after him, too?"

Diamond crossed his arms. "You tell me. Do _you_ really want to do that?"

Ross and Diamond noticed Steele's eyes widen before he forced his gaze downward. He shoved his hands into his pockets and furrowed his brow.

"I know it hurts that he's turned on us. If it's any comfort, it's not just you. It's all of us. So it might hurt to have this conversation, but--"

He sighed before pressing on. "We need to. Because this intel-gathering is going to come to an end sooner or later, and we're going to come up with a plan of action. What we plan on doing with Silver is going to be at the core of that, and we all need to be on the same page."

Ross nodded his head in agreement. "You're right."

 _"Okay, sounds fair,"_ said Sigbjorn.

"Steele?" Diamond questioned after a brief period of silence.

The only response he received was from the elevator as it arrived at its destination. The doors slid open and, of course, they were greeted with a nod from Professor Ozpin. His elbows rested on his desk, his hands steepled in front of his face. His smile wasn't visible.

"Yo, Professor," said Ross.

"Good evening, children. I notice that Sigbjorn isn't present."

"Yeah, he's in the infirmary."

"Well, that should sort itself out. I figure he is listening to this conversation."

 _"He doesn't even know how righ--"_ Diamond's Scroll said before stopping midway. _"Shit. I'm still on speaker, aren't I?"_

"Very well. I have no qualms. Now, to more serious matters."

Ozpin tapped his table twice. Video footage of the clashes that took place in Emerald Forest appeared on hologram screens.

"We both know why you're here."

He paused one of the screens and enlarged it enough so that the figure in the bandana and shades holding a marksman rifle was visible.

"How did Silver get in Emerald Forest in the first place?" Steele asked.

"We would have detected him if there had been aerial transport. We think him and the White Fang carried out this infiltration on foot. There's evidence of temporary camps being set up."

"It's a long journey. And a difficult one, too. That forest is filled with Grimm, isn't it?" Ross asked.

"Correct. By the descriptions of Ms Xiao Long and Ms Schnee, they found some White Fang being eaten by Grimm and found a hard drive on one of them."

"Were they high-rankers?" Steele asked. Ross looked to the hologram screen, at the design on the masks of the soldiers. "Yep, at least one of them was," he said. 

Steele responded, "Then there might be something useful on this thing after all."

"We're not sure yet, and I hope you'll share the information on the drive once you crack the encryption on yours, Mr Phoenix."

 _How the hell did he know about my copy?_ thought Sigbjorn.

"Alright, I'll do that. And if it's information you want, we've come up with a few things," Sigbjorn said.

"By all means, go ahead."

"One condition: you wait for us," Steele interrupted before anyone else could speak. "Silver is our responsibility. I don't care with whom he's involved, you can do what you want with them. But _we_ will handle him. Not you or some other Hunters or some military death squad."

"Mr Snow, he might have been your close ally, even friend, but I can't let one of the most dangerous men in Remnant possibly elude capture because you were too emotional."

Steele exhaled audibly. Ozpin had found his mark, but Sigbjorn was ready to back up his teammate.

_"The way I see it, you don't have a choice. I'm decrypting that drive, and I'll crack it faster than any spook you have. That information is something we both need, and unfortunately for you, if I choose not to share it, then you're out of luck. The only difference is, we go with your permission and make sure that the casualties all lie on the opposing side, or we end up bashing some Atlas heads in the process, and still end up going after Silver."_

"I can understand if you feel responsible. But I won't allow it. The risk to yourselves and others is too great; we don't have a full picture of what we're dealing with, but from what we've already seen, it isn't good. Even if I did approve of this, the Council wouldn't: I'd probably be outvoted by everyone else."

The whole team mentally prepared counters for a full-scale rebuttal.

But Ozpin's next words were surprising: "Let's compromise. I'll let you have jurisdiction over this matter _if_ _and only if_ one of my Beacon teams accompanies you."

Steele opened his mouth to argue, then realised that this was a better arrangement. But it wasn't one he felt comfortable with.

"You want to put _another_ team at risk?!" 

"Not a risk so much as... a re-inclusion, of sorts."

One holo-screen flickered. Team RWBY's profile appeared.

"After all, this entire incident involved a kidnapping attempt of Weiss Schnee, a Beacon student. One of your friends, if I'm correct. As Headmaster, Beacon's interests in this are legitimate: we need to know exactly how they got past our traps and punish those responsible for this incident. Such measures should get at least the simple majority vote on the council.   
But that is secondary. Both in capability and spirit, Team RWBY is one of the best we have on campus. You will benefit greatly from their assistance."

The young Hunters looked at each other before opening up their chats.

_Sigbjorn: I don't like this one bit._

_Steele: Neither do I, but it's either this or confrontation with Atlas. And wherever else Silver may be._

_Ross: I don't want to fight anyone if we don't have to, guys. They're just soldiers doing their jobs._

_Diamond: I agree. I'm not even sure we could get away with that._

_Sigbjorn: Steele, is this our best way out of this?_

_Steele: For the time being, yes._

_Sigbjorn: Then let's go for it. I trust your instincts._

Ross turned to the Professor. "Professor. They'll have to know. Everything."

Diamond inhaled sharply upon hearing this. "That can't- That can't happen."

"He's right," Steele said.

Ozpin remained silent. They just observed his face, looking for anything that gave them a hint as to what he might be thinking.

Then Diamond's eyes widened. "No. You- you didn't--" He chuckled out of nervousness as his mind raced repeatedly to the same conclusion. "You did _NOT_. _Tell_. _Anyone_. Right?"

"I simply took an anticipatory measure. Besides, you already seem to have a connection with team RW--"

_"What you did was unethical, unprofessional, and it betrays your nature as a headmaster."_

Ozpin couldn't see him, but he knew Sigbjorn was fuming. And why shouldn't he be? Ozpin had violated his trust. He sighed.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. But it was a necessary step. Besides, weren't you going to tell them anyway?"

_"On our own terms and our own time, damnit!"_

"Rest assured, he's not the only one who feels that way," Steele said, his eyes glinting with silent anger.

Diamond was shocked. He trusted Ozpin. But this one incident could end the friendship between both teams. And he didn't want that; he'd come to trust them.

He didn't say anything. Simply looked away and clenched his fists.

"It... It can't be all bad, right? It just means we need to talk to them," Ross said, trying to make light of the situation.

"I understand your lack of trust," Ozpin said, raising both hands in a sign of peace. "In the early days of your training, you were supposed to trust no one but yourselves, FRST and your commanding officers. And ever since that fateful mission, FRST was gone, and Atlas was unreliable. All you had were yourselves. But that is the mentality of a spy. Not a Hunter. You don't need me to tell you the benefits of working together. A single Hunter can tackle a dozen Grimm on a good day. A team can protect a whole village. But unite many Teams, and you can protect an entire Kingdom."

 _What the hell would attack an entire Kingdom? All the national armies are bound by peace treaties, and that's not even Hunter jurisdiction!_ thought Sigbjorn.

_"That doesn't matter. You could've asked us and you should've asked us!"_

"Only for you to refuse, and compromise another team's security in doing so?"

This was enough to take Sigbjorn aback. Not out of truth or falsity of argument, but out of pensive curiosity.

"Team RWBY was attacked too. Miss Rose was justified in demanding an explanation so that they could coordinate and respond better, don't you think? As Headmaster, I saw no qualms in granting her request. And had it been up to you, her endeavour would be a waste of time, her team would still be endangered, would it not?"

Sigbjorn remained silent.

"My intention was not to breach your trust. It was to give you some chance of building it. I'm going out on a limb allowing you to go after Silver. Let's at least agree to the same terms so that I'm able to help you do so."

 _"I don't care about your intentions: you did breach our trust. You had your reasons, but that doesn't make it okay for everyone,"_ Sigbjorn said. _"You should've at least contacted us then and there."_ He sighed. _"I... I get it, though. It was the logical thing to do."_

"Same," echoed the rest.

"So, we agree with the arrangement?"

"Only if Team RWBY does too," Diamond said. "Nobody should be dragged into this mess if they don't want to be."

"They've already accepted, should you be willing to cooperate. I assume that means you're all in agreement?"

SRDS answered in the affirmative and disclosed everything they had discussed in the hospital ward.

"Good work on obtaining these leads," Ozpin said. "If you need any Beacon resources to investigate further, rest assured they will be provided."

 _"Thanks,"_ Sigbjorn said. 

"And might I give you a word of advice?" asked Ozpin. 

They nodded. Ozpin's insights were almost always helpful.

"You may think that you are in a position of advantage, having worked with Silver before. That sword is double-edged. He knows you too. I don't need to tell you what that entails, knowing his semblance. Please keep that in mind and be careful."

"Understood," Steele said after pausing a bit.

They turned around and entered the lift.

"Oum, it's one crisis after another isn't it?" muttered Ross.

"Looks like we're speaking to Team RWBY now," Diamond said.

"It's what we were going to do anyway. Now we just have more... things... to..." Ross faltered as Diamond and Steele both began giving him expressionless stares as his first sentence concluded. "Yeah, nevermind. This is a problem."

 _"I'm waiting for you in the courtyard. Let's talk to them ASAP,"_ said Sigbjorn.

"Yep, we'll be there in five," Diamond said. He sighed, wondering why RWBY had accepted, and how they would respond to him and his team now.

Steele stared at the floor long and hard. He then pulled out and opened his pocket watch. Noting the time, he closed the lid. And opened it. And closed it again. A few times he did this in absent-minded thought. He finally put it back and sighed.

"Diamond, you were right. As much as I hate it, what you said about discussing Silver was true."

He looked his partner in the eye, "We'll do so later."

Diamond nodded gently before they walked out.


	23. Omelettes and Eggs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As SRDS and RWBY talk about cooperating, Silver makes his next move.

**_Later, at Team RWBY's Dorm room_ **

Ruby was proud of herself. She had managed to keep herself awake for almost all of Professor Port's lesson today. She decided to reward herself with a muffin before starting on her homework when she heard a knock on her door. She groaned in frustration, then turned to Weiss and said, "Hey Weiss, would you mind getting that?"

"Sure thing. I wonder who it is though. JNPR is off doing some extra training. Oum knows Jaune could use it."

Weiss walked over to the door, and opened it and to her surprise, Team SRDS was sheepishly standing outside. It drew Ruby's attention from her muffin.

 _Uh-oh_.

"Yo. 2 things. Can we come in, and do y'all have food?"

"Uh, what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story involving Ozpin and Silver. Best discussed inside."

_Definite uh-oh._

Weiss opened the door all the way and watched silently as the four huntsmen sat down on the floor like awkward sacks of flour. She closed it and walked to them with a neutral expression.

As she did so, Diamond noticed Yang scowling at them from the corner of the room with crossed arms and clenched fists. Ruby, on the other hand, stared at them with an expression of worry. Blake shifted uncomfortably in her place, leaning away from them slightly. The ears on her head were folded, a clear sign of agitation.

The tension in the room was palpable. Thick enough to break any knife trying to cut through it.

Private matter or not, Diamond felt a twinge of guilt for not telling them.

It was conflicting. Arguably, RWBY needed that information. That was justifiable. He didn't really mind that part on its own. But did it have to come at the cost of breaking friendships? He and his teammates were concerned about Team RWBY knowing intimate details prematurely: he was especially concerned about what RWBY made of them after knowing so much.

One look at Ross and Diamond could tell that he wasn't bothered too much by such considerations. The behaviour could be alarming to some, but Diamond found it reassuring in its own right. Everything he'd thought _was_ , so far, in his own head (though Team RWBY's body language said otherwise) and he wished for it to be the case.

"We know you went and asked Ozpin for our files," Ross said calmly.

Ruby decided that this was best discussed in a more comfortable situation. She reluctantly put down her muffin and decided to bust out her secret stash of hot chocolate and cookies.

"Here. You did ask for food. Come on, let's sit down."

The two teams sat in silence, both unsure how to broach the topic. It was not something one brought up in common conversation.

Finally, seeing no point otherwise, Sigbjorn decided it was best to cut to the chase.

"How much do you know? Not just about our missions, but about our past and training?"

"We know when your team was formed. We know what you guys specialised to train in. And we know about Team FRST," Ruby responded.

Ross put down the cookie he was eating as Diamond stopped sipping his hot chocolate. Sigbjorn sighed, while Steele seemed completely disconnected from his surroundings. All four of them looked lost for a moment.

Seeing this, Ruby's voice softened. "We saw your mission reports... all of them. I'm-- no, _we're_ _all_ sorry about what happened." She wasn't just saying that either. Her sadness was evident in her light frown and concerned stare.

"We understand why you chose not to tell us," Weiss said with a sigh. "Even if we did need to know what we're up against, it's still your private life. Rest assured, we won't tell anyone else without your consent."

"You were just trying to protect yourselves, I can understand that," Ruby said. "But you can trust us."

"I'd like to apologise for being so abrasive back on the Bullhead," Blake's nervousness was apparent both on her face and in her voice. "I've kept secrets about my past, too. Not that I expected any trust in return, but I should've been more understanding."

"Just--" Yang began in a sharp tone, then interrupted herself with a sigh to let the frustration and anger out. "Just be honest from now on. I need to know that I can trust you and that you have our backs."

SRDS was fairly taken aback. They were expecting a full-blown argument, not an understanding.

"Ozpin was right," Sigbjorn sighed before continuing, "if you'd asked first, I probably wouldn't have granted access to those files. Don't get me wrong, I consider you friends. We all do, and we don't want to see you endangered, but there is a lot that we'd each have felt more comfortable sharing on our own time. But now, I guess we don't have much of that. So... fair enough."

"Whatever happened until now has happened," Ross said. "I think we should just move on and focus on _doing_ what we can."

"It makes sense. I don't think we should stop being friends just because of this," Diamond said.

"Splendid, let's move on then," Steele said.

"Right," said Sigbjorn with a sigh. "And as a show of good faith..."

Sigbjorn raised his hands to his hood. His teammates were taken aback, while RWBY watched in curiosity.

The hood fell, revealing two black-and-orange-striped triangular ears protruding from the head.

"You're a Faunus?! What?!" asked Ruby.

"Yeah. I figured I might as well tell you this now. You did ask us to be open with you."

"Oh, I... it makes sense. That's why you were angry at Cardin," said Blake, pleasantly surprised.

"And why you eat so much food! Blake can never stop when it comes to tuna!" Yang exclaimed. Blake glared at her partner but quickly joined in the others' laughter. The air was cleared for now.

"Alright. Seeing as none of us have any more rabbits to pull out of our hats, uh, pardon the pun, I'd like to get to the point," said Steele with a smidge of hesitation. "We have some information we'd like to share with you."

"Yeah. Thanks for trusting us enough to volunteer for this," Diamond said.

"Since you did volunteer, we came up with a few things that you should know about, and could potentially help us with."

"Go ahead, we're listening."

Once again, SRDS laid out all the facts for Team RWBY.

"So this Jade, she's been Silver's spy at Beacon this entire time?" Blake asked.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Steele muttered. He redirected his attention to the gathering, "To sum up, we need whatever you know about Roman Torchwick. We'll be monitoring the other leads. Any information you provide could explain how he ties into all of this."

"Okay, sure. Torchwick has been involved with the White Fang. He's been involved with the Dust heists we told you about earlier. It seems he's in touch with some powerful people," Ruby said, remembering her first encounter with the criminal, and the lady aboard the Bullhead.

"He seems to have contacts with the general criminal underbelly of the city," Weiss said.

"From my experience," Blake said hesitantly, "Roman does seem like the businessman type. He might be willing to sell it all off."

"Then it'd probably be a good idea to get some surveillance on him. Maybe an eye on the black market in case something about weapons pops up," Steele said, looking at Sigbjorn, who nodded in response.

"What about Jade?" Yang asked.

"Nothing on her so far," Ross explained. "We can't really do anything except keep going through stuff related to her. Kind of a dead-end if you ask me."

"Always worth looking into and being sure. Never know what we might find," Diamond said. Ross raised his hands and curled his lip. "Alright, if you say so."

"So... we've told you what we know about Roman," Yang said. "It's probably fair if you tell us about Silver."

She noticed they had differing reactions to this. Sigbjorn sighed, Ross shook his head slowly, and Diamond adopted the same lost, melancholic look they all had when Team FRST was mentioned. Steele, however, turned his head to the side and for a split second his face glowered with rage. Though just as quickly, he took a deep breath and composed himself.

"Alright. Since you've gone through the files, you know why he's turned. What do you want to know?" Steele asked, turning to face them.

They thought about it for some time before Ruby spoke up, "Back in the forest, it seemed like he was prepared for us. Down to our every move. Is it something to do with his Semblance?"

"Actually, it has everything to do with his Semblance," Steele said. "We used to call it 'Timeline'."

"Meaning what exactly?" Weiss asked.

"I'll tell you only if you promise not to panic and hear me out fully because this will sound intimidating."

"Fine. Promise. Now go ahead," Yang said.

"He can, to a certain extent, predict the future."

* * *

_** Safehouse Psi, ** _   
_** Northern Vale ** _

The second he'd learnt of SRDS' attack on the Atlas White Fang outposts, Silver had aimed to get there as quickly as possible. At the time, he only knew someone was crippling their FOBs, he didn't know it was them, so he was quite surprised when he saw them at the site of his objective.

Under Silver's guidance, the White Fang had been setting up operating centres for a while now as a part of a larger operation. But as the smaller and under-equipped force compared to Atlas' titanic and robust military capabilities, secrecy was crucial. The plan had to be airtight; no room for compromises.

The White Fang Lieutenant was one such compromise. Silver had to eliminate him, but SRDS' presence had distracted him. Long enough for him to consider taking a shot at one of their members but rejecting the plan. Long enough for the Lieutenant to be safely tucked away inside an armoured vehicle. He was now an asset to the Atlas military, which made him a real threat.

Silver knew how the interrogation would play out: the Lieutenant would be offered two choices: spend the rest of his life working for the Schnee Dust Company mining raw Dust or divulge all the information he had related to the White Fang.

The Lieutenant had probably agreed but notified them that this information was especially sensitive. That explained the heavy security detail that Silver was currently examining through the scope of his rifle.

It would've been crude, but effective to craft a Dust bomb and smuggle it inside the complex. It would level everything and make sure the job was done, but Silver needed the Lieutenant alive.

He needed to know exactly how much Atlas knew about the plan. The devil was always in these details: even a minor one being off created future outcomes that led to downfall (improbable ones, yet possible ones) and Silver wanted to stay right on top of them to ensure that the plan was carried out without any damage.

_Lookouts look casual enough, but it's probably Special Forces or Intelligence for a mission like this._

_If it is Intelligence, could SRDS_ _be here?_

Silver thought about it.

_Atlas probably hasn't informed them of this until now. If the Lieutenant is still being guarded, he's probably not said anything. Then, there's no reason to suspect me._

_Good. I'll deal with them_ _later._

He never thought he could infiltrate Atlas' database, but he decided to cover all the bases nonetheless and consequently the unexpected happened. He was able to pull up their personnel files. He knew that 15 guards were inside that building, the building plans, and how they were communicating. An information jackpot.

Silver closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to compose himself. Just a slight mental nudge was enough for the outcomes to flood his mind. Occasionally, the guards would overpower them. But the overwhelming majority of events showed his plan would work.

It would surely alert Ozpin, Ironwood and SRDS once they found out. He would be their first suspect. But if things went according to plan, the only thing he'd have to worry about would be staying underground for a few days.

_Oh well._

_Omelettes and eggs._

5 guards were keeping a lookout from the exterior of the building. Three from the balconies, and two near the main gate. The northern rear of the house was nothing more than a featureless wall but sported a far and wide field of view from which possible intruders could be easily spotted by the guards on either of the side balconies.

Silver knew from past experience that if the main gate closed, it would instantly send an alert to the local authorities and Atlas forces, as well as place the building on lockdown. On top of that, they had probably prepared emergency procedures in case they were attacked.

Simply put, once a direct assault began, it had to end quickly. Silver was a Hunter, yes, but being outnumbered would put him at an extreme disadvantage.

That's what had happened when--

_No! Focus now!_

He stared at the northern wall of the house, taking a few deep breaths. He'd need them.

The plan was to scale the building's northern wall, get to the roof and release carbon monoxide into the ventilation system. It probably wouldn't suffocate them, but it'd be enough to trigger the fire suppression and alarm systems.

They would then proceed to make the informant exit the safehouse (probably with some form of shielding), even if they only carried him so far as the courtyard. As long as they were outside, they were vulnerable.

Problem was, the guards on either side of the northern wall would quickly take note of him approaching, and he would need to keep the target alive for a little.

But Silver had a way to kill both birds with one stone.

Through his binoculars, Silver observed Jade sitting on a bench that was to the south-west of the building. Disguised as a golden-haired ram Faunus, her appearance was completely morphed: a trait quite advantageous to an infamous cuttlefish Faunus as herself.

But she wasn't the only White Fang member present in disguise there. Silver had inserted 12 other hand-picked men and women in the area, waiting for Jade to make a move. He was counting on using their perceivable anonymity as a weapon.

"Waiting on you," Silver said into his microphone.

He noticed Jade lean a bit into the mic near her shoulder blade as she responded.

_"This isn't exactly my comfort zone, you know?"_

"We need that distraction, Jade."

 _"Yes, yes... of course...."_ Silver heard a sigh. _"Moving now."_

Jade's facial expressions became more suspicious with each step as she approached the house. A part of the act. It was working well, Silver noted, as the guard on the western balcony observed her movements. Played right into their subconscious anti-Faunus bias.

 _"Excuse me,"_ Jade said as she approached the guards near the front gate, _"but this house belonged to an old couple whom I had frequent contact with. What happened to them?"_

A simple piece of information gained from the local residential records. Good enough to begin the confrontation with.

_"That is none of your concern, ma'am. Please continue walking."_

_Typical Atlas grunt response,_ Silver thought wryly to himself.

_"But... are they alright? I haven't heard from them in a while, and now I see some strangers taking over their house..."_

Silver noticed the eastern guard tense up as the conversation continued. Both of them were facing the front gate; backs turned to the north.

He exited his observation position and began silently making his way towards the northern wall. The only way to ensure that he didn't get caught in their peripheral vision was to move straight towards it from the midpoint; the longest path. He couldn't run, lest the guards hear him, so Jade would have to keep this going for a bit.

_"No, ma'am, we cannot tell you who we are, but we can assure you the people you're talking about are safe."_

_"Really? No identification? Should I call up the police then?"_

That was the cue for the nearby Faunus to start coming closer to the house. After Jade said this, the Atlas guards would be compelled to show their ID to avoid a fuss.

_"Ma'am, this is an Atlesian security operation, and we are legally in control of this property."_

Little did they know that that one sentence would create an even bigger mess.

 _"Wait!"_ a third voice came through Jade's microphone, informing Silver that the main phase of the distraction was underway. _"That's what these Faunus-hating bastards always say!"_

Keeping his movements as silent as possible, Silver pulled out his fast rope and gripped it near its end, which had a thin, small metal cylinder. As he activated it, a cyan light flickered to life. The glow spread in a curve until a small circle of light radiated from the cylinder. Silver began whirling the rope, then threw it to the top of the building. As the cylinder hit the roof, the Ice Dust inside the cylinder activated, effectively fixing the cylinder to the roof.

_"They said something like this when I begged them to let go of my 12-year-old cousin! He was 12 and they suspected him of being in the White Fang! I haven't seen him since, you racist pieces of shit!"_

As Silver reached the bottom of the wall, he held the rope taut and tugged hard on it. It was secure. He tied it around his waist and began scaling the back wall, listening to the conversation.

_"Sir, please calm down."_

_"The hell he should!"_

Once Silver reached the top of the building, he noticed the crowd of Faunus near the front gate. Silver's disguised White Fang associates were proceeding according to plan, but he didn't expect actual Faunus bystanders to join in.

Some part of him didn't want innocents being dragged into this. He considered telling Jade to tell them off. But he quickly realised it would look suspicious to the Atlas guards if this mob started ushering some of their support away.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply. He would've preferred this to go another way, but the bystanders were here of their own volition. Even if the events to follow were premeditated, they would be responsible if something happened to themselves.

Silver carefully unscrewed the opening of the ventilation duct, activated the gas canister and placed it inside. He then placed the outer covering back. The gas would descend into the rest of the building via the ventilation, triggering the alarms. This would force all of them out into the grounds, where Silver would begin his assault.

Now, he just had to wait.

He returned his attention to the mob at the gates, bringing out his rifle. If all went according to plan, they would have little trouble storming the compound.

_"Come on, you all, calm down now!"_

_"Who do you think you're ordering? Atlas robot!"_

_"By order of the Atlas Military, disperse in--"_

The fire alarms inside the building began to go off. Silver took cover near the edge of the roof and peered over into the grounds to see the Atlas soldiers spilling out. 14 of them had already gathered in the courtyard.

_Good._

... and they kept coming out. There were presently 20, with no sign of the Lieutenant.

And the number grew to 25.

And then Silver realised exactly why it was so easy to hack into Atlas.

They had intentionally made it that way so that he would have wrong information and be underprepared.

_Ironwood, you bastard... damn you!!_

Silver grit his teeth. Were they prepared for him? Had one of his group ratted him out? Did they know about the plan?

But then he saw two men in black masks being led into the courtyard. Silver assumed that one of them was the informant and the other was a decoy.

_Why would they bring them out here if they knew what my plan was?!_

He came to a simple answer: _They wouldn't. Because they didn't._

So the database wasn't a surefire strategy against Silver, but a precautionary measure.

However, the increased enemy numbers complicated things. He wasn't so sure he could take them on, even with support.

 _"Silver, it's your call,"_ Silver's earpiece crackled.

All the new possible outcomes flashed through his mind as he used his Semblance again. The guards weren't a huge problem in themselves, it turned out. He could deal with them just fine; they wouldn't have any Aura. The trouble was that the Lieutenant and the decoy would most likely make a break for it during the battle. There were equal chances of him being caught and him escaping.

Silver considered the alternative: leaving the Lieutenant be.

Not an option.

"Take the shot," Silver said.

_"Got it."_

A second later, the head of one of the gate guards exploded into a fine red mist, followed by a thunderous roar. Jade used the opportunity to take out the second guard as the remaining White Fang rushed in. Most of the bystander Faunus fled, as Silver had foreseen. Two of them chose to charge in. Meanwhile, Silver tossed two smoke grenades, covering the area in a thick, white blanket of smoke. Silver knew Atlas' recruitment policies: most of the guards were human, and so they were unable to see clearly. Silver and his White Fang team, however, comprised entirely of Faunus. They could see quite well in low visibility conditions, be it darkness or smoke. A few of them even had control of their Auras. The Atlas guards, for all their pride, had left this element of combat to their Huntsmen, leaving them vulnerable to bullets. Silver had won them the advantage again.

As Silver took out the Atlas guards from his vantage point above, he noticed the informant and the decoy fleeing towards opposing exits. He shut his eyes and tried to recall anything that would be of use.

_Lieutenant had a semblance. He's likely brought his Aura field up._

Silver took aim and fired at both of them. One of them collapsed to the ground clutching the site of the bullet's entry, while the bullet appeared to bounce off the skin of the other.

 _You're mine now_.

Silver jumped down, switched his rifle to full-auto and emptied the clip as he aimed for the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant's Semblance blocked any damage, all while he barely broke a step.

Silver had no choice but to run for it. He used his Semblance again to determine the best path to get there. Close to the walls, straight through the courtyard... it all seemed to be the same. Now that the smoke cover had dissipated, those extra soldiers would slow him down considerably. He hadn't yet seen a single outcome where he nabbed the Lieutenant. Which meant that he wouldn't.

_So, he blocked all of my bullets. But the Atlas guards couldn't have allowed the Lieutenant to gain much of his Aura back. He's likely out now._

"Jade! Knife!" Silver called out as he approached Jade, who was busy engaging 3 guards simultaneously.

"A little help!"

Silver directed his fire at the guards, allowing Jade to toss him a knife.

In one smooth motion, he put aside his handgun and caught it by its hilt. He aimed carefully while using his Semblance and threw it. A nearby guard interrupted with an attempt to tackle Silver. He rolled aside, letting the man's momentum carry him over, came up kneeling and fired two rounds into the man's back.

"Everyone, on me. Do you have visual?" Silver said into his mic.

_"Negative. There's too much smoke and foliage."_

_Shit._

"The traitor's gone! What do we do?" one of the White Fang said as they regrouped and the smoke began to clear.

Silver spoke after a brief pause of consideration.

"Reggie, Duke, Cianne and Jade, head in the direction of the Lieutenant. He's bound to be bleeding. Pick up on his trail and give us updates."

"Got it," Jade said. "What about you?"

Silver reloaded his rifle. "We'll make sure that there are no witnesses."


	24. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RWBY learns the nature of Silver's Semblance. SRDS discuss how to approach Silver.

**_ Meanwhile in Team RWBY's Dorm,   
_ ** **_ Beacon Academy, 10:15:00 _ **

"So with his Semblance, Silver can identify the most likely outcomes of any given scenario?" asked Ruby in disbelief.

"Yep," Steele responded.

"And prior knowledge limits his Semblance?"

"Yep."

"... then how exactly is it different from thinking about things normally?"

"Good question. Now, how do I describe this...?" Steele covered his mouth with his hand. "Hmm... okay." He raised his hands to shoulder-level to make them pay attention.   
"When Silver uses his Semblance, it allows him to 'view' all the possible future outcomes with the information he has. That may include factual details, fighting styles... the list goes on. The more likely the sequence of events is, the more often it appears. He knows with _certainty_ what variables to manipulate for each outcome he sees."

"But if he doesn't know something, he won't see the outcomes about something related to that?"

"No, he won't," Steele said. "Also, note how I said it was time-dependent. The more in-depth an outcome is, the more variables he has to factor in, so with each additional variable the time he needs for a complete picture shoots up exponentially. It's why he prefers to use his Semblance in-the-moment, as he did back in the forest."

"Another point: just because he's seen an outcome doesn't mean he's achieved it," Sigbjorn added. "He may be certain of the variables, but his ability to actually change them is the same as anyone else."

RWBY breathed a collective sigh of relief. Silver would still be a formidable foe, but they now knew what his Semblance was capable of and what it wasn't. They stood a fair chance at winning.

"Actually, we might be able to leverage this in our favour," Steele said, narrowing his eyes.

"How?" asked Ross.

"Well, as discussed, his Semblance's most obvious weakness is the information he doesn't have, and keeping his personality in mind, he's going to want to have everything covered.. I'm certain he suspects we're coming for him now, so he might get caught up trying to gather information; learning whatever he can from wherever he can. If we pay attention, there's a good chance we will find a solid lead in the next couple of days."

"Good," Ross said. "I'm getting a bit tired of sitting around and doing nothing while Silver's still out there."

"Speaking of which, where do we start?" Yang asked.

"We gave you all the leads we have," Diamond said. "As Steele said, we'll have to wait a few days for anything to turn up. I'm counting on that hard drive, but we might get some important info by investigating Jade, Roman Torchwick and the diplomat."

"It'd be quicker if you let us handle all that for now. If we find anything, we'll let you know ASAP," Sigbjorn said, to which RWBY nodded. It was reasonable.

"One more thing," Steele said, tapping the floor with his foot and staring into blank space. "The presence of this Jade character is troubling. She was spying on us all this time without any of us noticing, which makes her particularly dangerous. She, other spies or any listening devices she may have had could all still be present at Beacon, which makes this location compromised."

Sigbjorn chipped in, "After we encountered Jade, I got to work. This room, ours and Ozpin's office are safe from bugs for now, but if Beacon's being infiltrated, there's no way to guarantee long-term safety of our plans until we know how they're doing it."

"We can't operate out of Beacon anymore?" Ruby asked.

Steele nodded before replying, "We need a more secure location."

"If you guys think that's too much, then you don't have to do this," Sigbjorn said. "We'd all rather you guys stay out of this mess than get dragged in against your will."

Sigbjorn shot a glance at his teammates, who nodded in assent.

At some level, Ruby knew it was coming. After all, both Teams had differing objectives and hence different operating styles. But working together, it seemed, was the only way to win this: she would much rather have SRDS' help than not. Not to mention the fact that she still very much considered them friends after the air was cleared, and she knew that each of her teammates felt the same way.

"I'm in," she said. "Not only because Silver attacked all of us," she turned briefly to SRDS, nodded and turned back to her team, "but because there are lives at stake out there. Where we come from and how we operate may differ, but I know we're here because at least on some level we all want to help people. And if this helps us get there, then it's something we have to do."

 _Leadership by personal example. Good sign_ , Sigbjorn thought to himself.

She turned to her teammates, "Who's with me?"

"Let's do it." Blake nodded, then turned to face SRDS, "I look forward to working with you."

"As do we," Diamond nodded.

Weiss sighed, "Well I suppose we'll have to move all our equipment if we're to get closer to resolving this matter."

"....so that's Schnee for 'Yes, I agree'?" Sigbjorn asked hesitantly.

"Why, you--" the sounds of giggling and snickering interrupted Weiss' retort. "Ugh... alright, alright, I agree."

Ruby, Weiss and Blake turned to face Yang.

"Alright, let's kick some butt."

"Hell yeah!" Ross grinned and pumped his fist.

"Splendid. We'll have something for you by tomorrow morning," Steele said as they rose to leave.

"Thanks again, guys. You won't regret this," Diamond said to them all. He then turned to Ruby as they gathered near the door. "And you say _I_ make good speeches."

"Thanks," Ruby replied.

Ross waved. "Plus, look on the bright side: it's gonna be a hell of a ride."

"That I agree with," Sigbjorn said. "Besides, Oz actually recommends that we work together. I don't always see eye to eye with him, but he wouldn't risk his students unless he knew there was a good chance they'd succeed. I look forward to seeing what you bring to the table. See y'all at dinner."

Once Blake closed the door she said: "Alright, that clears everything up. I'd say we're on good terms with them now."

"It actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would," said Weiss.

"They're not so bad," Yang nodded in agreement. "But it'd be best to keep an eye out. Just in case."

Ruby knew that staying slightly sceptical was simply Yang's way of being safe, making sure that nothing and no-one was being left out. Yang trusted them alright, just like Weiss and Blake, and Ruby was glad that she had her teammates' support.

"Alright, then," Ruby said. "Now that we're officially part of this mission and have nothing better to do, let's go train for this and revise our tactics. Silver may have cornered us once, but we won't give him another chance."

* * *

**_35 minutes later in Team SRDS' Dorm  
_ **

SRDS were taking a small breather to process everything that just happened. They'd been hit with a lot of information in the last hour, and being intelligence operatives, they needed time to process it fully.

Diamond and Ross were seated at the centre table, exchanging ideas about tracking Roman's crew between silences. Steele lay flat on his bunk, eyes closed but very much awake. Sigbjorn was sitting on the edge of his own bunk, his attention wandering from Ross and Diamond's conversation to Team RWBY to Ozpin to Silver. Now that they'd had some time to process everything, he decided to break the ice.

"So, about Team RWBY. I think we can trust them. They fight well and are actual Huntresses-in-training. They've watched our backs before and we have too."

"Yeah, we could learn a good deal from them," Ross said. "Plus, they're our friends, y'know? It'll be fun doing Hunter stuff with them."

"You're really taking this as an adventure, aren't you?" Sigbjorn asked with a chuckle.

"Kinda wishing it was under different circumstances though," Diamond said, then realised he'd killed the mood.

"Uhm- I meant, well, it seemed tense..."

"... this could be a very fruitful opportunity."

For once, Diamond was grateful for Steele's interruption.

"How so?"

"Think about it. Our leads before were all running dry. We suspected that someone was actively sabotaging our information lines and now we have the culprit. There has to be something larger going on for Silver to intervene like this. I can practically taste it."

"Seems like you're as excited about it as Ross. Does that mean you've made up your mind about approaching Silver?" Diamond asked.

Steele sighed before nodding. "The reason I mentioned that 'larger' aspect is because I think we should try and actively pursue Silver and find out what's going on. I think it'd be better to capture him and learn anything we can from him instead of... well, you know. That's why I was trying to convince Ozpin to let us handle it."

Ross narrowed his eyes at Steele upon hearing the last sentence. Steele had asked Ozpin to handle it due to some bigger truth, and not the fact that it was _Silver_ , their friend? Ross' first thoughts were to grab him by the collar of that damned white coat and ask him how he could be so heartless, so detached, so cruel, to _Silver_ , who was once probably his favourite person, apart from his team and little sister.

And so Ross might've done if he was younger, more reckless, and didn't know who Steele Snow really was. The boy checked himself, examining Steele and his statement. Steele lay facing the ceiling. Motionless, wide-eyed and completely stoic.

He could've fooled anyone else, but not his teammates. Not after so long.

Ross could tell from Steele's eyes that he was trying to remain calm despite all the history. Everyone likely felt a similar dread regarding Silver; Ross reasoned Steele must have known that and tried to find an impartial perspective to justify the choices they were about to make. He mentally scolded himself for his initial assessment.

_Solving problems before they even appear. Just Steele being Steele._

Ross was brought back to the present when Diamond spoke.

"I'm pretty sure Ozpin wanted us to find Silver, but not alone, and in a way that would cover all the legalities. He probably had all this planned out."

Ross scoffed. "I _knew_ he was too schemey."

"Returning to the point, if it was any other criminal, I'd handle it the same way."

Steele knew that his teammates realised there was more to it than those simple statements. It was an obvious truth. But one that would slow them down by causing memories, once happy but now painful, to resurface if it was mentioned out loud. Best left omitted.

"Silver is-- was our friend," Ross said with a heavy sigh. "I don't want to hurt him but at the same time, I can't ignore what he's doing. He's harming people, innocents. So we have to go after him..." Ross looked down and shook his head slowly as he finished, "but I don't think I can bring myself to harm him."

Steele turned his head sharply to face Ross. "That's exactly what he'll be expecting you to do."

"Buddy, we can't worry about you and focus on Silver simultaneously," Sigbjorn said.

"Which is why if Silver attacks me, or any of us, I'll defend and respond as appropriate. But I'm not going to actively attack him without trying to talk to him first."

"I think that's manageable," Diamond said, looking to Sigbjorn and Steele.

Sigbjorn got off his bunk, made his way over to the table, sat down and looked Ross in the eyes. "Promise me you won't let yourself get harmed. That's the only way I'm agreeing to this."

"I promise," Ross said. 

Steele simply sighed, shrugged and said, "I guess it's not too hard to factor that in."

"Just be careful, okay? Especially because Silver's not going to want to listen as long as he thinks he's got some advantage. But it's worth a shot," Diamond said, patting Ross on the shoulder. "I agree with Steele though. Knowing Silver, there has to be more. If we reach out and it doesn't work, we need to stop him, because who knows how many people that could affect?"

They now looked towards Sigbjorn as he thought about what to do.

"I feel sorry that it's come to this. Silver was a friend to all of us, but that's changed. Whether his target is us or Team RWBY or anyone else, he's up to no good. He's made it clear who's side he's on. So if I see him and I have a chance to stop him, I'm not holding back. Not just because I don't want any of you getting hurt, but also because RWBY is involved now too. Silver may have been an ally then, but they are our friends now. If the situation does arise, then they can't be affected because of our hesitation."

"Definitely not." Ross nodded. "It's like you said, we're watching their backs and they're watching ours."

"Yep," Diamond said. "Despite what happened, we're still friends and they still trust us, and I'm not letting them down."

"It'd be wrong of us to not uphold our end of the bargain," Steele said. 

"Looks like we're more or less on the same page," Sigbjorn said.

"Let's get to work, then. I'll look into the diplomat, Cornell," Steele announced as he rose from his bed and grabbed his Scroll.

"I'll start getting info on the assassin we fought," Diamond said. "Jade? Yeah. You're heading to the police station too, Steele?"

"Indeed."

"I'll try finding Roman's crew and their recent operational history. Something useful should turn up," Ross said. "Should I tell Ozpin we need access to The Pit?"

"Quick thinking, Ross, do that," Steele said as he clipped _Comet_ , his Jian shortsword onto his waist and _Predator_ on his back. From what RWBY had told them, they needed to be on guard against Roman's crew.

"Which obviously leaves me with the drive," Sigbjorn said, already plunking down in the chair of his desk. He cracked his knuckles as the powerful desktop computer whirred to life. "Let's do this."

He turned towards Diamond and Steele, already at the door. "Stay alert. Call if you need anything." 

"You got it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. Thanks for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it! If you have any feedback or thoughts to share, please do so via a comment.
> 
> The next few chapters are being drafted/edited, so you can expect chunks of new content soon.
> 
> With all that said, see you in the next one!


	25. Intel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SRDS learns of Silver's attack as they begin following up on their leads.

**_ Same day,  _ **

**_ Vale Police Department, 13:08:43 hours  _ **

A cardboard box plunked down on the desk that Diamond and Steele had been assigned. Loud enough to make the former flinch as his attention was brought back to reality, and the latter wince as he realised just how much paperwork there must be for that kind of weight. The boys were sitting in a sparse, spacious room of the Vale Police Department Archive Wing. The walls were lined with desks and utilities, and towards the centre lay 10 modest rows of shelves. Each shelf was stacked with cardboard boxes end-to-end and about one-and-a-half times either of their height. 

Steele could tell this was a moderately-used room from the way it was maintained. The light fixtures were working well, their glow bouncing off the tidy, well-polished desks. Likely the only thing not squeaky clean was the thing least tampered with; the files themselves. As if on cue, as the box hit the table, it shook off a wafer-thin layer of dust particles.

“As requested, the details of Cornell Cloud, former member of the Atlesian sub-council of commerce, ambassador of trade relations to Vale, now deceased,” said officer Matt.

“I was _really_ hoping that you might have digital records,” Steele sighed, staring at the rather packed box in front of him and then at Diamond’s screen. It displayed the list of suspects they had assembled based on appearance, aliases related to ‘Jade’ and possible Semblances to identify the assassin.

“Recent case. Hasn’t been uploaded yet,” officer Rusty said, leaning against the entry door frame.

“Right, of course,” Steele said, cocking his head sideways and pulling out the contents of the box. Matt walked over to where Rusty was standing. They had to keep an eye on them as this was the archive. But Huntsmen, even those in training, were higher in rank than policemen. She and Rusty both kept away from them, giving them the privacy they needed to discuss important details.

As Steele skimmed through Cornell’s diary retrieved from the diplomat’s safe, the contents suggested nothing more suspicious than a high-stress job and some slightly questionable business decisions given his position. But Steele noticed oddities in the vocabulary and sentence structure of the entries. He instinctively flipped to the last page. After searching the paper for depressions, Steele fished out his pocket watch and activated the built-in torch, shining it over the paper.

_Bingo._

There were signs of practising writing in a Playfair cypher with an inkless instrument. There were mistakes, scratched over lightly that aided Steele’s process of figuring out the key matrix.

Once he did, he rescanned the entries. One in particular caught his eye:

_March 21st:_

_Over the past few months, the shipment of the required materials has gone well. Neither party suspects a thing: after all, they’re common import and export items. We’ve covered our tracks far too well. At this rate, Mako will be ready for action in less than 5 months. I had my suspicions at first, but our new leader knows what he’s doing._

Steele narrowed his eyes.

_He was involved in trade between Atlas and Vale as a whole. So the ‘parties’ are likely to be both kingdoms._

Who or what was 'Mako'? Was the 'new leader' Silver?

He needed more information.

Steele continued examining the files on the diplomat for about an hour before he heard Diamond beckon, “Hey, what do you think of this?”

Steele glanced at his screen. Ivy, Jade, the header read. It was followed by a description, but what caught Steele’s eye first was the image. If it had not been taken a few years ago it would’ve been a perfect match. Except… as far as he recalled, Jade’s eyes were purple.

In this image, they were green.

“Diamond, the eyes.”

“You think they changed, too?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Steele said. That distinction coupled with the younger facial features could suggest that it was someone else. Unless the change was deliberate to throw an investigation off-track. It could simply be contact lenses.

He began reading aloud, “‘Detained for possession of chemical ingredients found exclusively on the black market. Further investigation suggested the items were planted on the suspect. Consequently, charges were dropped.’”

Diamond added: “The person they arrested instead of her was a White Fang supporter who initially confessed, but later said that he took the blame. But it was his word against, well, his former word and a crap ton of solid evidence. An iron-tight case.”

“Hmm… well, using the procedure I used in Beacon’s chemistry lab, most of the chemicals she needs are available for sale at any chemist. PCR equipment would be a bit difficult to obtain, but she wouldn’t really need much else to operate.”

“She said she created her toxins herself. Excited about it too,” Diamond contemplated.

“That, what we saw in the forest and what we learned from her poisons suggests that she’s well-versed with toxicology and that her semblance could be aiding her capabilities.” Steele shook his head slowly. "What a waste of potential."

“Police didn’t consider her a suspect, so there’s not much else on here.”

“Make a note and keep digging for info on her. We could use every bit of it.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Diamond said. “What’d you find about the diplomat?” 

“Nearly all my initial deductions match up: he was ambidextrous, the fatal wound was the gunshot, abdomen wound was caused by a knife. They analysed the blood found on the pen: no matches. Relating to his post, the man was involved in legislation and regulations related to the import/export of raw materials and goods between Vale and Atlas.”

“Anything suspicious?”

Steele chuckled as he showed Diamond what he had translated. “His diary entry certainly doesn’t keep his ambitions hidden, but there’s no concrete evidence. The most recent thing he did was draft and pass a bill that increased the export amount of fabric, spices and food ingredients from Vale, and raw and processed Dust, iron and other ores from Atlas. Pretty standard as far as the materials are concerned, but he mentioned that would be all they needed for something called ‘Mako’. No personal details jump out: married for about 8 years, two children, his family is intact and doing relatively well. The paperwork is thorough. They were obviously under pressure to do this right, seeing as it concerned politics.”

Steele sighed, leaned fully back in his chair, pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, letting the information he learned be absorbed, assimilated, recombined. What he needed was a perspective which took care of all these facts, and more which were yet to come.

_Breathe. Focus._

_It is highly unlikely that Atlas or someone close to Cornell did this, so it must have been that third party he mentioned. So far, the motive to kill him could be to keep his mouth shut, or because he straight-up betrayed them. Something that was/is affected by his position. Something to do with those materials…_

“We need to check out the details of his job,” Steele said, pulling out a file. “Any legislation he was involved in, especially that bill I mentioned. That should give us an idea of what companies he affected. Then to narrow it down, we cross-reference it with anything we have from our other avenues of investigation.”

The boys took some high-quality scans of the files for further reading and to share with their teammates and RWBY. 

As they gathered their material to leave, Matt cleared her throat, prompting Rusty to reluctantly approach them. “I’ll cut straight to the chase: you aren't working this for protocol’s sake. So I’d like you to keep us in the loop. I know we got off on the wrong foot back at the carnival, but Matt and I are assigned to this clusterfuck. We need to know what’s happening too.”

Steele didn’t envy the officers: with the information they must be having, this case was nothing more than scut work leading to a dead end. 

“Are you being punished?” he asked, following a hunch.

Matt sighed. “The commissioner likes having things under control. You’re Hunters-in-training, not official Hunters, and we still let you investigate, so he assigned us to the same case. He knew we couldn’t do much here: Atlas wants to do their own investigation. He is their diplomat.”

Steele nodded. His suspicions were right: it _was_ his fault for getting involved.

“There are some sensitive details involved, but it’d be nice to have someone willing to help in the VPD. Steele?” Diamond asked.

After a brief pause of consideration, Steele spoke, “We can’t share the particulars yet, but we’ll keep you updated using the contact details you shared earlier. If that’s alright with you, great. If not... you don’t have a choice anyway.”

Rusty and Matt stared at him before the former sighed. “We don’t. Oum help me, I hate it, but we don’t.”

“Okay,” Matt said. “We’ll finish up here. You remember the way out?”

"Yep. Come on, Steele," Diamond said, holding open the door.

Steele gave them a curt nod before he and Diamond exited the room and walked to the elevator.

“Good call,” Diamond said, pushing in the ground floor button.

“I hope so.”

As the doors opened and the boys stepped out, they noticed that every cop in the lobby was gathered around a monitor. 

They looked at each other and quickly jogged to the nearest screen displaying the news.

_“--though witnesses were not able to identify facial features, they say the Faunus were armed and had already managed to infiltrate the building. The violence has left all guard personnel either killed or in critical condition. The individuals remain unapprehended so residents and visitors alike are being advised by local authorities to refrain from going outdoors--”_

"Steele?"

"Call it in."

* * *

**_ Five minutes later,  _ **

**_ SRDS Dorm  _ **

Ross stared hard at the many, many multi-coloured routes marked on the map of Vale in front of him. He had managed to locate a couple of potential candidates for Roman’s previous hideout based on black market dealings. Ross was currently tracking vehicle movements from those locations across Vale. Lucky for him, according to prior records, they used the same car models to curb maintenance costs. He was able to track and map the cars which also began or ended their journeys near one of the ID’d locations, using data gathered over the last 3 weeks. When the license plates turned out to be fake for some of them, Ross knew he was on the right track and used traffic camera footage and engine sound spectrum analysis (both of which he enlisted Sigbjorn’s help to access).

His logic was simple, yet sound: use the routes to try and pinpoint their most probable headquarters. But the data had chosen to disagree: aside from a few outliers, there was almost no incoming traffic to two different locations.

“Bingo!” he noticed Sigbjorn exclaim from his desk.

“What?”

“The location mentioned in the news matches up with one of the safehouses in our private records: ‘Safehouse Psi.’ I'm pulling up the coordinates now.”

“Great. So it had to have been someone who knew about it,” Ross said. “But… why attack the safehouse?”

“Maybe it wasn’t Silver, maybe it was. If it was, there are going to be other leads,” Sigbjorn said. “Leads we’ll find.”

There was a triple-knock on the door, followed by Steele, Diamond and Team RWBY entering.

“We saw the news. Do you think it’s Silver?” Ruby asked.

“Maybe, maybe not from what Diamond and I know. Sigbjorn, Ross, tell me you have something.”

Sigbjorn and Ross explained whatever they had found so far.

“The drive?” Yang asked hopefully.

“Still decrypting,” Sigbjorn said, pinching his brow. “Whatever’s in there better be military-grade.”

“I _really_ hope it’s not,” Diamond said with a chuckle.

Steele began examining Ross’ map as the latter explained the details.

“Good thinking,” Steele said. “And we can’t find Roman’s headquarters using this?” 

Ross shook his head.

Steele stared at it, then remembered what Cornell had written in his diary.

“However… what if we use it to look for something else?”

“What?” Ross squinted as Steele started looking at the ends of the routes.

After a few seconds, Blake interjected, “You’re looking for the ones that didn’t come back.”

“Precisely,” Steele said, moving from one section to the next. “These different colours mean different weeks, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then we’re not looking for this… or this…” Steele tapped two points where more than 4 vehicles had frequently ended up, leaving two other points in Eastern and Northern Vale.

“There might be something going on over here…” Steele said, then turned his attention to the Northern one, “But all the ones going _here_ are the same colour. How recent?”

Ross drew in a sharp breath. “All 7 vehicles in the last week.”

“… hang on, I think that might be close to the safehouse.” Sigbjorn pulled up the coordinates, then marked the location with a pin on Ross' map.

The group stared hard at it. The safehouse lay 10km from the centre of the approximate area where the vehicles converged.

“Swell,” Ross said and sighed. “What now? What does that mean?”

“Our key players are Silver, Jade and Roman,” Steele said, thinking out loud.

“We know from Jade's burner phone texts that she and Silver were working together with Roman on behalf of the White Fang. Therefore, anywhere Roman or his crew have been involved over the past few weeks has potential.

Cornell may or may not have been a necessary victim, but another Atlas installation under attack is alarming. Especially when you consider that Silver holds a grudge. _Especially_ when Roman is involved in the same region. 'Armed Faunus' also implies that the Fang was involved, which makes the involvement of all three even more likely.”

“I think it’s them,” Steele said, looking at his teammates and then at RWBY, all of whom agreed.

“Even so, it’s still uncharacteristic of Silver to make a big, public move like this,” Diamond said.

“Means that whatever he wanted from that safehouse was important enough to goad him into it,” Sigbjorn said. “Sounds like it’s worth investigating.”

Steele nodded. “He’s made his move. Time we made ours.”

“So, keeping our last discussion in mind, are we going off-campus?” Ruby asked.

“Yep. It’d be easier to investigate the region on-site. We’re cooperating with Ozpin to get access to The Pit and a few other resources,” Sigbjorn said.

“...The Pit?”

“Ah, don’t worry, it’s better than it sounds,” he responded with a chuckle. “Since we’re cooperating with Atlas and have a history of working together, we might get access to their resources. We’re heading to a safehouse where we’ll be safe from any remaining threats at Beacon. We call it ‘The Pit.’ It’s no five-star hotel, but it’s good enough for a safehouse. Does that sound good?”

"Ah, I got it," Ruby said.

“We were gonna move anyway," Yang said, "might as well make the most of it.”

"I agree!"

“How soon can we move out?” Weiss asked.

“Ozpin says we should get clearance by tomorrow,” Ross said. “So, as soon as we’ve got that and secured transport.”

“And done some reading,” Steele added. “We’ve got some info from the records. It’s important and I think everyone should go through it at least once.”

“Yes… which, since y’all are here and if you’re comfortable with it, we could do now, together,” Diamond said. “It’d be a good chance to… wind down, I guess, after everything that happened today.”

“That does sound nice,” said Ross.

“Alright, show us what you have,” Yang said as the group pored over the information that they had begun receiving on their Scrolls.

“Ah… fair warning,” Steele began with an unusually meek tone, “I did mark the parts I thought important but that’s still--”

**_“45 PAGES?!”_ **

**_“STEELE, WHAT IN THE DEVIL--”_ **

“I see you’ve received it! Very well, let’s move on to reading!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any feedback at all, feel free to share it in the comments.
> 
> The info and events from this chapter are going to get things moving along, and give a sense of the big picture/mystery that's the Teams will attempt to unravel.
> 
> We're pretty excited about exploring SRDS' individual members' reactions to Silver (and vice versa), their interactions with RWBY now that their secret is out and they're on an op together, and of course the plot and action yet to come!
> 
> The next chapter is already mostly done. If all goes well, it'll be coming a few days after this one.
> 
> All that being said, see you in the next one!


	26. The Pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teams SRDS and RWBY set up their base of operations and have a bit of spare time.

****_ Next day,  
_ **_ Northern Vale Airspace,  
_ ** ****_ 11:23:56 hours _

The Bullhead’s engines hummed as they propelled the aircraft through the azure skies. It was headed to a drop-off point just outside the northernmost settlement of Vale, even further north of Mount Glenn. The Bullhead’s occupants, though anxious, were endowed with a day of combat training, a full night’s rest and most relevantly, clearance for a safehouse called The Pit. General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin had further agreed that they would have access to any Atlesian Military assistance they needed.

Currently, SRDS and RWBY were quizzing the details of the case amongst themselves. A simple activity, but one that sharpened active recall and association-building.

“Last question… for _one_ million Lien,” Diamond said, his pitch rolling as if the Bullhead was alternating between a nose dive and flying flat.

“I will break your _face_ if you keep talking... _like_ that,” Sigbjorn said, mimicking Diamond.

“Hey!”

“Ugh, stop interrupting yourselves and just get on with it!” Weiss said.

“ _Someone’s_ in a mood,” Yang said.

“You would be too if you were on a winning streak!”

“But you’re the only one keeping score,” Ruby said.

“Question, please!”

“Alright, alright. Name of the safehouse that was just attacked?”

“Safehouse Pi!”

Steele, who had taken to re-examining their files after a few rounds, flipped a page and spoke, “Says ‘Psi’ in here.”

Weiss was even more shaken than when she learned she wouldn’t be able to bring all of her suitcases.

“ _NOOOO!!!!_ ”

“Looks like arrogance was your downfall,” Blake said with a smirk as Weiss glared daggers at her.

“I think with that we’ve covered just about everything we know so far,” Ross said.

“Pretty good job, everyone,” Diamond said.

“And we’ve got some time to kill until we get there, don’t we?” Yang asked. “In that case, I’ve got a question. If Silver knows how you and Atlas operate, why do you say that The Pit is going to be safe?”

“Same reason it’s not a good idea to stay there too long,” Steele answered. “Atlas likes to regularly liquidate and move around safehouses. They do it to make sure that they remain, well, safehouses and to prevent any rogue agents from gaining access to Atlas tech/info. Initially, I did think Silver might know its whereabouts, but it shifted only a few weeks ago, so it’s highly unlikely he knows the exact location even with his Semblance.”

“So that’s why we’re carrying most of our equipment,” Ruby said.

“Yep. It’s pretty sparsely furnished so that it’s easier for them to change locations,” Ross said.

“Also because Hunter gear tends to be unique and thus needs more specific and rare components which we have to take care of ourselves,” Diamond said.

“Speaking of setting up, once we finish, we should pull up a list of businesses in the area,” Steele said.

“Ohh, right, the shell corps,” Ross said.

Cornell Cloud had written down a list of all the third-party companies that he’d be meeting with regarding the new trade policy. As SRDS and RWBY found out while researching, most of them seemed to be legitimate businesses, but the others hadn’t seen a difference in profits before and after the policy implementation. Most of _these_ companies did not have a foothold in their markets, were not well-known and had not issued any explanation for the above incongruency.

This led the group to conclude that whatever materials were being used for _Mako_ were being transported via these companies under the radar.

“It was pretty cool learning how to identify all that,” Ruby said.

“A useful tool in a Hunter’s arsenal,” Blake nodded.

“We’re here,” said Sigbjorn as the Bullhead started lowering. “We are operating on a low-tech scenario. Essentials only. In time, I’ll get everything unpacked, but for now, stick to the bare minimum we need to get the job done.”

The Bullhead landed in what seemed to be a large clearing. Save only for a large boulder in the centre of the clearing, surrounded by shrubbery.

“This won’t be too much of a problem. The next job is civvie work anyway, so I doubt we’d need a full kit,” said Diamond, his voice full of optimism. “Hell, we might even have fun on this one.”

Sigbjorn walked to the back of the Bullhead and began to pull out cases of computer equipment.

“We can help you if you’d like. With the unpacking that is,” said Ruby as she looked at the mounds of computer equipment stacked precariously at the back of the Bullhead.

“Sorry, my bad. Not used to working with friendly teams, not in a while,” Sigbjorn sighed. “Anyway, Yang, could you get that box labelled ‘Network Components?’” said Sigbjorn as he pointed with his leg, his arms stocked. “As for the rest of you, you can bring in any box you’d like. But please be a bit cautious. Those boxes hold my life’s work.”

“Says Sigbjorn while pointing with one whole leg,” Ross joked, prompting Sigbjorn to quickly stand on both feet.

As the two teams performed the arduous task of removing the boxes from the Bullhead, Sigbjorn moved over to the rock and placed his palm on it. A light scanned his palm print. Out stuck a needle and a glass microscope slide.

“Why can’t I just give you my hair?” he said as he pricked himself with the needle, and smeared the blood on the slide.

"Voice pattern and DNA accepted. Welcome, Sigbjorn Phoenix," chirped the rock before sliding aside to expose a metal hatch. Sigbjorn opened it and sized it up. It could accommodate 8 people or half their cargo at once. He looked back at his friends, deciding to give them a break.

“Alright, I'll use my semblance to get all these boxes onto the elevator. You guys chill over here and take a breather. You’ve earned it,” said Sigbjorn as he materialised an oversized forklift and began loading every box onto the tines.

Steele, Diamond and Ross looked wordlessly at each other and continued arranging boxes. Seeing this, team RWBY began assisting them.

Steele, wasting no opportunity to make things efficient, told Sigbjorn to stop and created an ice ramp that extended from the Bullhead, gently sloping down until it touched the ground close to the entrance. The edges of the slope were curved upwards to ensure that none of the boxes would spill over. He instructed Ross to continue the last few bits of the slope using the ground; the extra friction served to slow down the boxes gradually, without a sudden stop that would damage the components inside. This ensured that they didn’t have to keep moving back and forth to carry the boxes; gravity did the job for them. Diamond and Blake loaded the boxes onto the ramp, while Sigbjorn and Weiss placed the boxes inside the elevator. Steele, Ross, Ruby and Yang would set up as many of the components underground as they could before the rest arrived.

“You have no sense of tact, you know that?” said Weiss to Sigbjorn. “It’s clear as day that you need help, but you’re too conceited to accept it right now.“

“It’s not that I don’t want your help, I just wanted to lighten the mood and give y’all a break.”

“Oh, so you can take all the credit for yourself? Hmph! Not on my watch.” Weiss scoffed as she began dutifully placing the boxes in the elevator. Sigbjorn sensed her competitiveness was, at least in some part, a facade covering her genuine desire to help. He didn’t stop her.

“Alright then. I did offer you a choice.”

“As if I would tire out after doing something so simple.”

“We’ll see about that in a bit since we’ve got a few sets of these to go.”

Sigbjorn marvelled at her carrying one of the bigger, heavier boxes to the elevator. She seemed determined, but judging from her furrowed brows and uneven movements, she was struggling to maintain her balance.

“Let me help,” Sigbjorn said, lifting a part of the box from the other side and helping her place it onto the forklift.

“Not bad,” she huffed.

Sigbjorn nodded. As he was heading off to fetch another box, Weiss cut him off. “Sigbjorn, wait a second.”

“C’mon, we can talk while working. I prefer it.”

Weiss sighed as she followed him back to the end of the ramp.

“I… wanted to thank you for trusting me the other day at the infirmary.”

Sigbjorn turned to look at her, drawing a sharp breath.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone else yet.”

“Thanks. I’d… rather keep it between us, please.”

“I understand. And I hope you considered my words the other day.”

Sigbjorn sighed, grabbing a box. “I did. Thanks for that, but that was a bad moment. I’m much better now.”

“That’s good to hear,” Weiss replied.

Sigbjorn nodded at her as they made their way to the forklift.

“This is a somewhat personal question, but why’d you join Beacon?”

“Well, because Beacon is the premier institution for aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses. Not that Atlas Academy is any worse, but its focus has been a lot more… _militaristic_.” Weiss frowned at the space ahead of her.

“I agree with that last bit, but that wasn’t really what I wanted to ask,” Sigbjorn said. “Rephrasing myself: why do you want to be a Huntress?”

“You’re asking this because I’m the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, right?”

Sigbjorn frowned. This seemed like a sensitive subject.

“Well… partially. Not gonna lie, I am somewhat curious about the ‘heiress’ bit, but more importantly, I’m asking because you’re a friend I’d like to get to know better.”

“Oh,” Weiss sighed. “I see.”

She thought about it. Sigbjorn didn’t seem like the kind to judge people. He’d also trusted her with his past so she reasoned could do the same.

“Well, I suppose it’s nothing so intrusive I can’t tell you,” said Weiss.

“My parents, particularly my father,” she said with a bitter tone, “have always wanted me to take on the Dust business. A Schnee is supposed to be the best there is, and in their eyes, that means carrying on the family business legacy, and so forth.

“But growing up, I realised that the business practices that were at the foundations of that legacy were… unjust.” Weiss sighed, shaking her head. “No, excuse me, they were flat out wrong. I decided I wasn’t going to go on with this, at least not without making some changes. My sister, Winter, wanted to get away too and decided to join Atlas Academy. But I wouldn’t get an opportunity to make changes there. I needed to find my own path. So here I am.”

As Sigbjorn processed it, he found that he could appreciate and respect where she was coming from. She definitely wasn’t one of those spoiled rich kids that Atlas was infamous for. The case here seemed to be quite the opposite as she was finding a way to sustain and better herself using her own skills. Sigbjorn also realised that this was probably why Weiss was nitpicky about details: she wanted to put her best foot forward, and staying on top of the nitty-gritty stuff would help her do just that.

“Huh. I understand. Actually, I respect that,” Sigbjorn said with a curt nod of his head.

“Thank you.”

Sigbjorn smiled, then refocused on the environment around him. Diamond and Blake seemed to be speaking with each other if only to make the task less mundane. He assumed something similar might be happening below in the Pit.

“Whew! That got done in half the time I thought it’d take. Nice job!” Sigbjorn said, marvelling at the last stack of boxes they somehow managed to fit in the elevator.

As he sent it downwards, he noticed Weiss wiping some sweat off her brow, smiling to herself.

“You look like you could use a breather. You want to see what was inside those boxes?” asked Sigbjorn.

“Knowing you, it’ll probably be some obscure computer components, but you’re right. I could use a break. Lead the way,” replied Weiss.

Sigbjorn pulled open a small metal panel in the elevator that housed a control box. With a press of a button and a shaky jerk, the elevator started descending.

“You mind if I ask you a question or two?” said Sigbjorn as he sat down on the floor of the elevator.

“By all means, go ahead.”

“Since you’re a Schnee, and an heiress, are you any good with financial records?”

“Exceedingly so. Since I’m to inherit the company, Father trained me to maintain and analyse records. A useless skill that I wish I could substitute for more combat training, but it is what it is.”

“Well, it looks like it might not be so useless after all. You’re with me for the deep dives we’ll need to perform. Remember how we said that the White Fang might be using fronts, and possibly even full-fledged shell corps? You’ve got exactly what I need to get to the bottom of this and shut them down for good.“

“Oh, I see. In that case, I’ll do all I can. Can I ask you a question now?”

“Go for it.”

“Why are you fighting the White Fang? I mean, they’re certainly misguided, but we both know that the Faunus aren’t treated very well. You might have experienced it yourself.”

She quickly added, “I’m sorry if I crossed a boundary of sorts.”

“Nah, it’s good. I fight them because while their intentions may be somewhat noble, their actions are anything but. It’s one thing to convince people to support a cause and another to hurt and threaten people who disagree. I fight because I think it’s the right thing to do.” Sigbjorn shook his head and sighed. “But honestly? On some level, I think I fight because it’s the only thing I know _how_ to do. I’ve been a soldier all my life, and I probably will be till I die. Never had the chance to be anything else.”

Weiss was taken aback by the later parts of his reasoning. She wasn’t expecting it. But it made sense once she thought about it. If his village was destroyed, what other options would he have?

And how did he get the opportunity to get here in the first place?

But she sensed this wasn’t the time to ask these questions and instead opted for a lighter route of conversation.

“If you could be anything else, what would you be?”

“A chef.”

Weiss took a moment to process that. The response was almost instantaneous. He had clearly thought this through.

“That was... quick,” said Weiss. “Why a chef?”

“Something about putting things together where detail is important and serving others just checks all the right boxes for me. I wouldn’t mind the stress, and I love food, so experimenting with all the different kinds of types of cuisines would be perfect. Your turn, what would you be?”

Weiss paused for a moment, then replied with, “A dancer. Or a figure skater. I’ve seen many performances and they’re always so graceful, their movements are filled with elegance.”

“You’d be great at either. You have both elegance and grace in spades.”

Weiss blushed, but before she could respond, the elevator ground to a halt, and with a terrible groan, the metal doors at the bottom of the shaft opened.

“Welcome to the Pit. I hope they had pest control down here, because if I see a spider, I may just lose my mind,” said Sigbjorn as he got up and picked up a box labelled ‘Emergency Components’, his voice echoing off the walls. Weiss saw a blue light emanate from inside the darkness.

The Pit was a pocket of air in the ground, with jagged, cold rock formations sometimes interrupted by hard and blank steel or concrete walls. With darkened corners that only saw light once the elevator was opened or when the cold, alien blue glow hugged its damp and shiny features. Though the lighting was dim, Weiss could make out some ventilation grates near the roof.

Judging from the blueprints Ozpin and Ironwood had provided them, it was subdivided into a large central ‘hub’ and four chambers that were connected to it. Weiss reckoned they were standing in the hub chamber. Most of their equipment would probably go here. One of the other chambers seemed to be for storage, two for accommodation, and the fourth was a modular chamber for adaptable use.

“Hey, guys!” Ross’ voice echoed from ahead.

“Hey Ross, why the heck are you working in the dark?”

Weiss heard the elevator strain and croak as it rose to the surface.

“You’ll forgive that; the Deception Protocol is active,” Steele said as he worked on the wiring. “This place hasn’t been in a while, so I wanted to make sure the wires could withstand the sudden energy load. Go ahead and try it now, Sigbjorn.”

Sigbjorn opened another control panel and flicked a couple of switches. The elevator’s groans ceased and it rose to the top, smooth as butter. Some floodlights turned on, drowning out the minimalist cyan glow with a heavy, warm yellowish-white light.

“Ha! There we are!”

“Deception Protocol?” asked Weiss, covering her eyes as they adjusted to the brightness.

She pulled a large cloth off what she expected to be old furniture but instead was a high tech command chair. “And Atlas grade equipment? This place never ceases to surprise.”

“The Deception Protocol is in place to fool people who aren’t supposed to be here. Say the entrance malfunctions, or some miner finds this place. The Deception Protocol makes them think it’s some sort of abandoned facility. And since we lug around the computer equipment and the weaponry, the ruse works for the most part. It’s usually empty, so barely anyone knows you’re here. Now, c’mon, we’ve got outlets there, and a holo-screen right in the corner, so that’s where we’ll be spending most of our time.”

After Diamond and Blake made their way down, both teams quickly got busy setting up the remaining equipment. Sigbjorn continued setting up the computer equipment seeing that it was his area of speciality, with assistance from Diamond and Weiss. Steele and Ruby got to work on the electrical wiring, examining any points of exposure and fixing them as necessary. Ross, Yang and Blake helped move and position the heavier items.

It was a time-consuming and arduous process, as one had to take care of not only moving the equipment about, but positioning it according to the power sources, and generally getting the most out of each source. RWBY was completely new to this; it wasn’t exactly covered in traditional Hunter training. And though SRDS had seen their fair share of such safehouses, it was still tricky work considering Atlas’ aforementioned liquidation and the fact that they had more equipment to cater to.

With a bit of trial and error though, both teams caught onto the process quite quickly, and in five hours, everything was set in its proper place and functional.

Soon, the Pit turned into a shelter, flooded with ambient, warm lighting that bounced off the walls from the screens and lamps it emanated from. With a small refreshing wind from the ventilation, and an over-the-top and yet neatly-arranged quantity of computer, Dust and weapons equipment. Not exactly the most spacious or typical of homes, but it was the most functional accommodation either team had ever seen, and it was theirs for now.

Once they had finished, Ruby decided to check out the storage chamber. She walked over to a refrigerator inside and opened it up. She expected MREs and canned foods. She was surprised to find fresh vegetables and gourmet ingredients.

“Is that a fridge?” asked Diamond from across the hall. “We usually get MREs and old water. You’d only use a fridge-”

“If you’d need to store fresh ingredients!” said Ross, abandoning Blake and Yang and rushing over to the appliance.

"WE LUCKED OUT BOYS!" shouted Diamond as he began to sift through the ingredients. Clearly, they were expecting far worse than this in terms of food, and they were quite pleasantly surprised to discover the fresh food that had been prepared for them.

Steele then began putting things together. Looking at the others, he said, "If they're giving us fresh ingredients, it means we're not going to be staying here for very long. Bare essentials only, people."

Sigbjorn nodded, and said, "Alright, since we're making you stay in this moody dump of a base, dinner tonight is on me. Take your pick from traditional baozi, good old mac and cheese, or homemade submarine sandwiches!"

“Wow, there’s dessert ingredients here too!” Ruby said. With the extra chocolate supplies she had brought, she was positive she could make something out of this.

“Prepare for the best dessert in your lives! Ruby’s great at making them!” Yang said, beaming proudly from behind her sibling.

“Yang!”

“C’mon, you deserve to show off!”

“Yes, we gotta make the most of it! It’d be a nice change of pace to have dessert on a mission,” Ross said.

“Yeah, I look forward to it!” Diamond smiled before continuing. “It’d also be a nice change of pace after whatever atrocity Sigbjorn is going to shove down our gullets,” he smirked.

Everyone looked at him with a grave expression. Everyone he could see, that is, which excluded the chef in question.

_He’s right behind me, isn’t he? Oh no. Oh no no no no no--_

“ _Oh,_ ” Sigbjorn said. “Well, in that case, I guess you wouldn’t mind going hungry.”

Diamond expected to be suplexed. This was far worse.

“Wait, shit--”

“Just thinking about all that movement you’ll have to do since you’re the stealth main. Man, that’s gotta take something out of you.”

“Sigbjorn no I didn’t--”

“Especially considering Aura expenditure. Oof, tiring! It’d be a real shame if you didn’t have something to replenish yourself. But oh well, that’s none of my business since I only cook _atrocities_.”

“No more! Stop! It was a joke! You’re a great cook!” Diamond dropped to his knees and pleaded. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want!”

“What was that?”

“You’re a great cook! I was just kidding, I swear! I promise! Your bao zhi is unrivalled!”

“Hm! Of course it is! And after that?”

“I’ll... do whatever you want...” Diamond said, realising what was coming next.

“Good to have someone on dish duty! It usually takes forever to decide,” Sigbjorn said, leaving Diamond a defeated mess on the floor.

“Nice work, Diamond,” Ross said, walking past him.

“Me and my big mouth…” Diamond mumbled to himself.

Yang chuckled at the episode before taking a seat at the table. It reminded her of her own Team’s antics. Playful, just poking fun, more than anything else. It put her mind at ease. Even after everything she knew about SRDS, after reflecting on time spent with them, she concluded that she didn’t mind being friends with them.

“Now, Ruby, if you’d be so kind as to join in, let’s get started!” Sigbjorn said.

As both teams took a breather and settled for a meal, Weiss spoke up: “Well, I'd like to know the plan from here on out. I'm assuming we stay here, seeing as there are living quarters for us."

Steele was first to respond.

“Because we’d like to reduce the chances of you getting trailed, or accidentally exposing the location of the Pit, we’re going to be operating from here almost every hour of every day. So, as Weiss mentioned, we’re staying here, and you have the pick of any room you find.”

“But before everyone gets settled in for the evening, I suggest we relax a bit. We’ve been working for a long time, and we should all unwind and destress. To be frank with you, I doubt we’ll be getting another opportunity like this in a long while,“ said Sigbjorn as he put on his apron. "Let's make the most of it, shall we?" He lit up a flame and began cooking.

The night filled with the sounds of raucous laughter, and friendships becoming stronger. For one blissful moment, SRDS felt like they'd never lost FRST, and while they thought no one saw them, certain members of both teams sneaked glances. They couldn't explain it, but simply looking at this person caused a small knot to form in their stomach. Of course, they were detected immediately, but the feeling surprisingly was mutual.

And for one night, the teams weren't hunters, or soldiers, or students. They were just a bunch of friends, enjoying each other's company, in the presence of good food (and some illegally procured red wine).

As soon as Ross finished annihilating the last of his truffles, he let out a loud burp.

“Now _that's_ what I call a meal.”

“Looks like everyone’s finished,” Diamond said. “Allow me to get to work,” he said as he began collecting the dishes.

“I think I’ll be turning in for now. I’ll take what sleep I can get before tomorrow,” Steele said.

“It’d be wise to do the same,” Blake said.

“Go ahead, I’ll be back as soon as I’m done here,” Diamond said from the sink.

“Good night!”

After the teams exchanged wishes, they entered their living quarters, separate for each team. Not as big or luxurious as their dorm, but after a bit of tweaking, it was a cosy arrangement.

“Alright, that went well,” Ruby said. “I’d say we learned a few things today.”

“Most certainly,” said Weiss. “I never knew there were so many intricacies involved in doing something as simple as setting up a safehouse.”

“Well, we did a little bit of extra work, comparing this with the safehouses I’ve seen during my time in the Fang,” Blake said, a bit reluctantly. “But it’s work that helps keep this even more discrete.”

“That’s good,” Yang said. “And… you were right,” she turned to her sister. “It was a good thing we trusted SRDS.”

Ruby smiled and nodded back.

“In any case, the real work begins tomorrow,” Yang continued as she plunked down on her mattress, “so I think some shut-eye is in order.”

With that, the girls turned out the lights and called it a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to share any feedback/thoughts you have, we'll be sure to respond.
> 
> There was a bit of a delay in uploading this one due to life stuff, but we used the time to make this better than it would've been if we published it then.  
> This was mostly just downtime for the characters since the past few chapters have kind of been an information ride, and because some interactions were due after RWBY learned SRDS' background. There's more to follow in the subsequent chapters.  
> The Pit itself helped us explore the 'spy' side of their backstory a bit more.
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading. We'll see you in the next one!


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